When we were teenagers, not getting enough sleep was worn as a badge of honor. But these days, with the pile of work and errands we have to finish, every second of sleep is valued. In this article, we will look at the importance of napping as adults.
When you were growing up, your parents and teachers probably emphasized the value of napping and why it’s important to your development. At the time, you likely resented the fact that you were forced to nap, as you just wanted to play with your friends. And eventually, as you got older, you were allowed this liberty: no more naps.
However, you may observe that when you were in college or while you were working, your body still craved for naps - perhaps even more intensely than when you were a child.
And so in this article, we will look into the importance of napping at any age and the things that you can do to maximize its benefits.
The different types of naps
Strictly speaking, a nap is a short period of sleep that you take during the day. This definition then leads to several variations of naps, depending on their purpose. These include:
Appetitive nap
This is more commonly known as the power nap. It is when you take a nap as a break from watching too many movies or when you take the time to ease into the bed weather. Simply put, an appetitive nap occurs simply because you want it to, and not because you need it.
Prophylactic nap
A prophylactic nap is taken when you anticipate sleep loss. It’s basically off-setting sleep debt before the debt is even accumulated. This is most common with night-shift workers and with students who pull all-nighters for their finals and projects.
Recovery nap
When you lack sleep, your body will most likely feel fatigued and groggy at some point. When you take an hour or two to make up for the sleep loss, you are taking a recovery nap.
Essential nap
An essential nap is taken when you are sick or fatigued. It is non-negotiable, as your immune system expends more energy to fight off infection or promote healing.
Some naps are also differentiated by their length. These kinds of naps are:
15-minute nap
A 15-minute nap is optimal for recharging your brain power. Though it may seem short, that period is already enough for you to teach Stage II in the sleep cycle, which works to boost your short-term and long-term memory.
30-minute snooze session
A snooze session has the same benefits as a 15-minute nap, but it also works to recover your body from fatigue. Because it allows your body to rejuvenate, a snooze session is best taken at least 6 hours before you go to sleep. If you have this kind of nap close to the evening, it may end up disrupting your bedtime.
90-minute full-on nap
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 90 minutes is the maximum amount of time that you can nap without disrupting your overall body clock. It’s enough to make you go through the entire sleep cycle, and so you would wake up feeling as if you were able to get a full night’s rest. As such a full-on nap would work best if you’re looking to take a prophylactic or recovery nap. Similar to the 30-minute snooze session, this is best taken well before your bedtime.
What are the benefits of napping?
- Improved mood
- Better cognition and short-term memory recall
- Sharpened focus and alertness
- Lowered blood pressure
- Reduced fatigue
- Less stress
- Boosted immunity
- Heightened workplace productivity
How to maximize the benefits of napping
Schedule your naps
Scheduled naps may sound very grade-school, but as an adult, there is no denying that you have a plethora of other responsibilities to attend to. As such, planning your naps would allow you to nap without feeling guilty.
Sleep doctors recommend scheduling your naps between one to three pm because napping earlier or later than that would disrupt your internal clock. If you’re working a regular 9-to-5, then you could use that 15-minute coffee break to take a nap instead. You can also squeeze in a quick nap after you have your lunch. Just make sure to set your alarm.
You could also use apps like Timebloc so that you can schedule your naps accordingly. Set your alerts and notifications, so that you’re off to your next meeting or task as soon as you wake up.
Set the environment
It’s rather difficult to nap at will, so make sure that you design your environment for sleep. Dim the lights, keep it cool and make sure to keep your electronic devices on your desk so that you can sleep better. You may also try putting on an eye mask or playing some white noise or instrumental music.
Just make sure that you don’t get too comfortable, especially if you’re at work, lest you end up falling into a much deeper sleep.
Consider drinking coffee before you fall asleep
This sounds counterintuitive, especially since caffeine is known to delay sleep. However, current research shows that drinking coffee right before you nap can maximize its benefits. This is because caffeine takes around 15-20 minutes before its effects kick in. Hence, it should not hinder you from falling asleep, and the effects of the caffeine would manifest once you wake up, thereby enhancing your performance and mental capacity even more.
Make it a habit
Do you know how you tend to wake up, eat breakfast, go to the gym, and fall asleep at similar times each day? This is because your body is inclined to do certain things out of habit. Hence, even when you don’t feel like working out today, your brain would still tell you to go to the gym and pick up the dumbbells. And although you want to sleep a little longer on certain days, you instinctively wake up at 6 am. Once a habit is built, it’s difficult to get around it.
This is why making a habit of napping will help your body get accustomed to the practice. Just make sure to stick to a certain time of the day. For instance, if you nap from 12:45 - 1 pm, do your best to maintain that schedule. Before long, your body would naturally be relaxing come 12:30, in anticipation for the nap that is coming in 15 minutes.
To ensure that you are able to keep this habit, block out the time in your schedule and monitor how well you can stick to it. You can make a small note or check on your planner for each day that you managed to take a nap. You can also download habit tracking apps like Done to monitor how well you are keeping your streak.
It doesn’t really matter if you do it at work or home. What’s important is that you are able to keep to your daily napping schedule. Remember: the more consistently you do it, the easier it will get for you over time.
Napping regularly will help you achieve better clarity and performance while lessening your stress and fatigue. Although you may have your share of responsibilities to fulfill, there are still ways for you to reap its benefits. All it takes is 15 minutes.
