Contents:
- Medical Video: Mayo Clinic Minute: The upsides and downsides of napping
- 1. Improve work performance
- 2. Reducing stress and tension
- 3. Improve mood
- 4. Improve memory
- 5. Improve fitness
- 6. Fight the desire to eat
Medical Video: Mayo Clinic Minute: The upsides and downsides of napping
Napping is a very important activity for everyone, not only for children, but also for adults. If there is a theory that says that napping during work is a bad thing, then the theory is an example of ancient thinking that is not right. Research has shown that napping can affect everyday human activities. Various companies have regulations to allow their employees to take a nap, and some even have special rooms for naps, for example, Uber, Google, Zappos, Capital One Labs, Ben & Jerry's, and PwC. Here are scientific data on various health benefits of napping:
1. Improve work performance
Napping can increase alertness and motor performance, so you feel more energized while working. The length of your nap determines the benefits that you can have. For example, a 20-minute nap is ideal for increasing attention and motor skills, while 60-90 minutes of napping can put a Rapid Eye Movement (RED) to sleep, which of course can help create new connections in the brain and create creative problem solving. Set an alarm to wake you up on time, if you take a nap too long, you will feel dizzy afterwards.
2. Reducing stress and tension
Workers must often feel stressed. Some studies show that napping can help reduce the effects associated with stress. A 2012 study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism examined the effects of stress related to adults from 30 minutes of napping in two days. The researchers found that napping for 30 minutes can cover sleep needs when you only sleep for 2 hours at night. In addition, napping can also control stress hormones in the body caused by lack of sleep at night.
Regular naps can help reduce tension, so it has an effect on reducing the risk of heart disease. Get all the health benefits by taking a nap right. Be sure to stick to the optimal nap schedule, which is between 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The time period is optimal because you are expected to have lunch, so that blood sugar and energy begin to decline. Taking a nap in a dark room can help you fall asleep faster.
3. Improve mood
Workers who have had sleepless nights know that they will find it difficult to fall asleep the next night. Taking time to sleep during the day can help eliminate anxiety due to lack of sleep. Keep in mind, napping is a wiser choice than sipping coffee, because consuming caffeine in the afternoon or evening will have a negative impact on your night's sleep. Therefore, napping is a natural way to improve your mood.
4. Improve memory
Recent research has found that napping can help improve memory. Students who take naps absorb more information than those who don't. Not only that, napping can also improve performance and productivity. A team of German neuropsychologists found that napping after learning can help improve human memory by as much as five times compared to those who don't. The researchers also added that the brain's ability to remember will increase if you are in a quiet sleep. This is certainly very good for workers.
Other research results also say that a group of people who take a nap experience an improvement in alertness, short-term memory, intra-aural temperature and heart rate.
5. Improve fitness
Napping will improve your fitness. A study from Stanford University found that athletes who get a lot of naps run faster, last longer, lower heart rate, and exercise better. The researchers also said that most athletes did not have enough sleep to recover from their training. This can disrupt the mind, mood, and reaction time. Napping is believed by researchers to be able to overcome these problems.
6. Fight the desire to eat
Famous fatigue leads to increased appetite. When the afternoon begins to arrive, many workers have the desire to eat sweet foods (such as chocolate and candy), sodas, and coffee to keep them awake, which of course can cause blood sugar to be unstable. If you have about 10-15 minutes, try taking a short nap instead. This can eventually restore concentration and enthusiasm while lowering stress hormones that contribute to making you crave.
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