Resisting a rest?
Some naps can be refreshing, while others can leave you groggy and worse than before you shut your eyes.
Dr. Amy Korwin, a pulmonologist with Hartford HealthCare Medical Group in Connecticut, says that given the right conditions and the correct parameters, a nap can offer myriad health benefits.
“Naps can increase your alertness and improve your performance and reaction times. They can also reduce fatigue or sleepiness and improve your mood,” she told Hartford Healthcare this week.
Naps may also preserve the health of our brains as we age.
A study published last year in the journal Sleep Health found that sneaking in a quick nap during the day may correlate with larger brain volume. Our brains tend to shrink as we age, but the brains of habitual nappers were found to be large enough to offset up to 6.5 years of aging.
Napping has also been shown to boost creativity, improve parenting and increase joy. Experts have even coined a word to describe the bliss state reached after a brief doze — nappiness.
Keep it short
To reap the benefits of napping, Korwin recommends ceasing your siesta after 20 minutes, “Longer naps reduce your sleep drive, making it harder for you to fall asleep easily at night. They can also lead to sleep inertia, or a groggy feeling and difficulty returning to a fully awake, alert state after the nap.”
According to the American Sleep Association (ASA), a 15- to 30-minute “power nap” can lend an extra boost of energy during the day, but is “not meant to replace any nighttime sleep.” The organization says adults should nap around the same time each day and never for longer than 30 minutes.
The couch bests the bed
While your bed seems like the obvious choice for a respite, experts caution against getting too cozy under the covers, suggesting nappers opt for the couch instead.
That way, you’ll be relaxed enough to get 20 minutes of slumber but not so relaxed that you go overboard.
Pick the right time of day for your power nap
Sleep experts say 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. is the sweet spot for short-term shut-eye. Korwin echoes the sentiment, “In the afternoon, your body experiences a natural circadian dip or a dip in energy levels, making it an ideal time for napping.”
While it may be tempting to nap beyond that window, Korwin cautions against seeking sleep in the late afternoon or early evening as it can compromise your ability to get quality rest at night.
Downsides to dozing
There are potential downsides to daytime dozing.
A study published last year in the Obesity Research Journal found that long nappers tended to have a higher body mass index, larger waist, higher blood pressure and increased prevalence of metabolic syndromes — all of which are linked to obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
Longer naps were also linked to later bed and meal times, greater food consumption at lunch and cigarette smoking.
Those who took a siesta less than 30 minutes long (a power nap) did not appear to have an increased risk for obesity or these other metabolic concerns.
“It’s unclear whether napping causes these conditions or if it’s underlying health issues that lead to increased sleepiness and napping,” Korwin explained.
The bottom line? Naps can be sweet so long as they’re kept short. If you can’t fall asleep mid-day, don’t force it. Instead, opt for a brisk walk to re-energize yourself.
