The benefits of taking a nap in the afternoon.

It might be lack of sleep, an urge to relax, or a desire to recharge for an evening activity. Each of us has our own reasons to take a “power nap” especially during siesta time. But what we don’t often realize are the benefits that naps can bring.

Benefits of taking a nap in the afternoon

We all know why sleep is important. It improves our mood and productivity, boosts immunity, and helps us maintain a proper weight, among other things1. But how do the benefits of taking a nap differ?

Better cognitive function

Among the benefits of taking a nap in the afternoon is increased cognitive performance and reduced sleepiness. With a sharper mind, and less need to doze off, it will be easier to go through your tasks of the day.

The effects are immediate, especially for shorter naps. This is perfect if you need a mental boost in the middle of a hectic day.

Heightened alertness when regular sleep is inadequate

 Naps help you become more alert and improve your performance even without enough sleep at night. This may be the case when you work late or have trouble sleeping. Scheduled napping has also been found to help wake you up.

Better heart health

A study in Sleep Medicine Review found that napping once or twice a week was associated with a lower risk of incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) events, as opposed to those who do not take naps.

Improved working memory

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted a study to measure the effectiveness of naps specifically for astronauts who slept less than the recommended hours for adults. The study found that naps improved working memory, or the ability to focus on a task while still remembering other tasks. This became crucial particularly for those who maneuver spacecrafts.

Naps are good, but…

 While mental sharpness is associated with naps, doing so is only a short term fix5. There is still no substitute for consistent regular sleep.

Tips for an effective afternoon nap

While you might think that taking a nap is as simple as lying down, closing your eyes and falling asleep, there is actually a bit of science to it.    

Take note of the following so you can make the most out of that afternoon nap.

Naps should just take 10 to 20 minutes

 Naps longer than 20 minutes can cause you to feel groggy after waking up. Not only will you feel worse; it totally defeats the purpose why you took a nap in the first place!

Take naps early in the afternoon

 Siesta time in the Philippines is a time to take a moment to relax. But while it feels nice to sleep in the afternoon, doing so can interfere with your regular sleeping schedule at night. There might be instances where you find yourself totally awake when you should already be sleeping. This can lead to irregular sleeping patterns that may take a while to fix. So the best time to take an afternoon nap would be before 3 p.m.

Don’t take naps if you have sleeping problems

 While you might think that the simple solution to sleeping problems is to sleep more often, the timing of when you sleep should also be taken into consideration. If you experience sleeping problems such as finding it hard to sleep at night, or feeling tired and sleepy during the day, then this might be a sign that you need to reset your body clock. In this case, taking naps in the day might disrupt your sleeping rhythm even more.   

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