Wouldn't it be divine to be able to do this, halfway through the day, hit the reset button as if you were a machine, and start all over again, refreshed and renewed to continue with what still lies ahead. That button or at least a mechanism that serves the same purpose exists short naps, which, according to a growing body of scientific evidence, are a useful tool for regaining the alertness and energy with which we start the day. There is a main benefit to short naps, and that is that they counteract the physiological effects that occur from the moment we wake up, the sleep physiologist and co-founder of The Sleep School, based in London, explains to BBC Mundo.
The longer you're awake, the more adenosine accumulates in your brain, and that's why you experience more sleep deprivation, he says. When we nap, we reduce adenosine, we metabolize some of this substance in our system, and that helps us increase our energy levels and feel more alert and awake, Meadows says. This helps us "improve our mood, react more quickly and sharply to stimuli, reduce the possibility of making mistakes, and focus and pay more attention to what we need to do that afternoon.
What Is a Power Nap?
The benefits Meadows highlights refer specifically to those brought on by short naps (known in English as power naps, despite the energy they provide), whose duration should be between 10 and 20 minutes. But if what we're looking for is to improve memory, creativity, our perceptual functions, or cognitive processes, a longer nap, up to 90 minutes, is necessary, he tells the BBC. Sara Mednick, sleep researcher and author of Take a Nap Change Your Life Longer naps between 60 and 90 minutes lead us to REM sleep (also called REM, for rapid eye movement), and this deep sleep is the same type of sleep.
We have at night and therefore carries the same benefits, says the scientist, who has been researching the effects of sleep for more than 20 years. Because finding half a day isn't within everyone's reach unless we live in a country where siestas are an intrinsic part of the culture, such as Spain or Greece, and work hours are tailored accordinglyw e find our appetites short. As Meadows explains, taking a short nap is like swimming or cycling: that is, it's a skill that requires training and can be acquired in a short time and without much effort. If you want to learn, set an alarm to make sure you don't overdo it.
How Long Should a Power Nap Be?
If you practice sleeping at the same time every day, your body will develop the habit of associating that activity with a specific time," she says, adding that it takes about three months to go from being "a person who can't nap to one who naps easily. The important thing is not to force yourself to sleep, but simply to settle into bed, an armchair, or a place that is comfortable for you, darken the room or wear a mask to cover your eyes, and try to take advantage of that time to be still and rest.
It's also recommended that you stop looking at your phone or reading emails five minutes before taking a nap, breathe calmly, and maybe drink some water. In short, relax and get comfortable. Some people say they find it impossible to sleep for 15 minutes in the middle of the day because they can't fall asleep easily, but, as Meadows explains, it often happens that we fall asleep without even realizing we're doing so. An experiment in which people were allowed to sleep while electrodes were connected to their heads to determine their exact sleep state determined.
Power Nap Benefits
That when they went through the first phase, which is quite light, and then after waking them up and asking them if they had been awake or asleep, 65% answered awake when that wasn't true. This proves that we're not very good at realizing that we're sleeping" in this phase of sleep, the expert says. But in addition, the benefits are obtained not only if we fall asleep but also from the mere act of closing our eyes for 10 to 20 minutes and taking a break. This interruption is good for those who have rested well the night before and also for those who haven't, although it's important to keep in mind that we should avoid staying up too long (20 minutes for a short nap, and 90 minutes for a full nap).
We will feel lethargic when we wake up. A recommendation found in several places on the internet is to drink a cup of coffee before taking a short nap, since the effect of caffeine begins to be felt about 20 minutes after taking it, right when we wake up. The siesta theory is accurateExtensive studies demonstrate the many benefits of implementing the daily habit of taking a nap for an individual's mental and physical health. For many, the mere idea of sleeping for a few minutes after lunch is absurd, especially considering the daily grind of work, studies, and other activities. However, taking this time to recharge is right and necessary.
Conclusion
Napping is not linked to sleep disorders; on the contrary, it's considered a sleep hygiene practice. Therefore, sleeping in in the afternoon is useful for recovering lost sleep, taking a break, enjoying this time to disconnect, or simply resetting to continue in better condition. Napping provides many positive effects for our bodies, such as calming the drowsiness that makes us feel sluggish and clumsy. By sleeping this short time, we wake up more alert, improving our cognitive functioning, our ability to react to stimuli, our short-term memory, and, without a doubt, our mood, which is elevated to optimism and joy.
The length of a nap is quite relative, as it depends entirely on the individual's availability of time and space, their plans for the evening, the time at which they take the nap, and their level of sleepiness. Some people manage to recover in just 10 or 15 minutes, while others can't do so in less than an hour or a little more. But we must be careful because the longer the nap, the more difficult it will be to fall asleep at night, and that's not the point. Another aspect we must consider is the time at which we wake up.
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