Are Afternoon Naps Beneficial?

Many of us get the urge to nap right after lunch time. This is completely normal. After lunch your body temperature drops and you experience the urge to sleep. Many people feel that taking naps makes them groggy and lazy, that is absolutely not true. Taking an afternoon or a midday nap is extremely beneficial to your health and your productivity. During this time you improve your alertness, balance your hormones and repair cells.

Surprisingly, napping is becoming more and more popular in the workplace. Major corporations believe that this technique improves alertness and productivity. Many Broadway performs improve their performance by committing themselves to regular naps. Investing the time in these short sleep patterns during the day can enhance your mood and mental performance. Even ten minutes can have profound effects on your attentiveness. And if all of that does not encourage you to invest some time in afternoon rest, then maybe the fact that midday power naps can improve heart health will spark more encouragement.

With all of these beneficial factors surrounding afternoon sleep, how can we make this tranquil time even more rewarding? Well, there are certain ways to improve the quality of your naps. First of all, remember that the best time to nap is in the mid-afternoon. If you sleep during the late afternoon you might disrupt your nighttime sleep pattern. Also avoid caffeine, sugar and hard to digest foods prior to your nap. These foods can make it difficult and in some cases impossible to fall asleep. Furthermore, it is important to find a quiet place, preferably somewhere where you can turn off the lights or close the shades. You can even wear a sleep mask to achieve ultimate results. It may also be helpful to cover yourself with a light blanket because your body temperature drops when you sleep. So the next time you feel like your body is begging for a nap, don’t hesitate to take one.