Many people avoid taking a power nap, especially on a very hectic day as they want to stay as productive as possible. This has been the belief of many individuals across the globe.
But, there are some people who regularly take power naps since it is part of their culture. Among them are Japanese citizens since they have their traditional lunchtime sleep called "hirune."
Health professionals explained that people should take power naps not just because of their culture, but it also benefits their health.
Why Power Napping is a Must
BBC Fortune looked at a study that was published in 2023. It was conducted by researchers at the University of the Republic of Uruguay and University College London (UCL).
Based on their findings, power napping not only makes the brain bigger, but it also enhances the overhealth of people. Experts involved in the study said that the brains of participants who take catnaps several times became larger; over 15 cubic cm.
They said that this brain size increase can delay the aging of the internal organs by between three to six years. Aside from delaying the aging of the brain, experts said that power naps also offer short-term benefits.
One of these is making your mental performance better by taking short naps for around 5 to 15 minutes. They said that this mental performance boost can last for up to three hours.
Here are other benefits that you can get just by just sleeping for short period:
- Enhancing physical and cognitive performance when napping between 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Reducing fatigue
- Memory boost
- Better reaction time
- Better mood
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How Long Should You Power Nap?
Power napping can really benefit your overall health. But, the question is, how long should it last?
Prof. Kevin Morgan of the University of Loughborough in the U.K. said that taking the perfect power nap needs timing. He said that people should make sure that they do it in the mid-afternoon.
Morgan added that power naps should not be longer than 20 minutes. He explained that power napping during the day and letting it last until in the afternoon can lead to sleeping struggles at night.
Kevin also stated that power naps longer than 20 minutes can make people feel groggy and disoriented once they wake up.
Now that you know the right time and duration for your daily power naps, Sleep Foundation provided some tips that can help you take your short catnaps:
- Since it will be during mid-afternoon, use an eye mask or blackout shades.
- Make sure to turn off the lights or close the windows.
- Put earplugs if your family is too noisy during your power nap time.
- Turn off notifications or put your device on silent mode.
- Use your phone as an alarm clock.
- Make sure that the room you will be sleeping in is cool.
