{"id":6355,"date":"2020-03-26T15:30:00","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T22:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lifestyle.org\/?p=6355"},"modified":"2023-08-04T11:29:56","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T18:29:56","slug":"are-naps-really-good-for-your-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lifestyle.org\/are-naps-really-good-for-your-health\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Naps Really Good For Your Health?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Many people around the world\u00a0<em>love<\/em>\u00a0a good nap. In fact, siestas<br \/>\nare an integral part of some cultures. A quick nap boosts productivity and<br \/>\nperformance, according to some research.<\/p>\n<p>But, other studies (perhaps controversial)<br \/>\nindicate a connection between napping and mortality. Napping during the day<br \/>\nincreases the risk of premature death by up to a third! Apparently, napping<br \/>\ncauses inflammation and increases the risk of respiratory illnesses.<\/p>\n<p>Could it be that people who nap regularly do so<br \/>\nfor reasons other than because they feel sluggish in the afternoon? Why do they<br \/>\nnap? Is it for cultural or environmental reasons? Age-related issues?<br \/>\nUnderlying health conditions?<\/p>\n<p>Until researchers find conclusive evidence one<br \/>\nway or the other, follow these ground rules to ensure your naps do you more<br \/>\ngood than harm.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How to Nap Right<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<strong>No<br \/>\nmore than 30 minutes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The health and cognitive benefits of naps<br \/>\ndecline rapidly the longer you nap. Naps longer than an hour are bad for your<br \/>\nphysical and mental health. They leave you feeling groggy, plus you\u2019re likelier<br \/>\nto make mistakes after waking up from a long nap.<\/p>\n<p>The ideal nap is between 20 and 30 minutes long,<br \/>\nensuring that you stay within the light stage of sleep and awaken just before<br \/>\ndeep sleep begins.<\/p>\n<p>The danger zone is between 30 and 80 minutes because you\u2019ll wake up before the end of the deep sleep phase, making it likelier you\u2019ll have that dreadful groggy feeling. You\u2019d be better off napping for a complete sleep cycle, which is about 90 minutes long.<\/p>\n<p>If you find yourself struggling with keeping<br \/>\nyour naps between 20-30 minutes, you might have a hidden health condition like<br \/>\ndepression or obstructive sleep apnea.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<strong>Not<br \/>\nafter 3 pm<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you nap too early in the day, you\u2019ll probably just lie awake for 30 minutes because your energy levels are still high. Nap too late in the day, and you\u2019ll likely struggle to fall asleep at night.<\/p>\n<p>The best time for a nap is early afternoon<br \/>\nbecause that\u2019s when your energy levels start to dip. You\u2019ll fall asleep<br \/>\nquicker, sleep more deeply, and wake up more refreshed.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<strong>Find<br \/>\na comfortable place<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re serious about napping, find a quiet, comfortable place with few distractions. If you\u2019re at work, you could avoid the noise and bright lights of the office by taking a short nap in your car, if you drive to work. Alternatively, take lunch offsite and use your lunch break for a nap. Napping under your desk isn\u2019t recommended.<\/p>\n<p>\u25cf\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<strong>Naps<br \/>\nare not a replacement for sleep<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Napping during the day isn\u2019t a band-aid for poor sleep during the night. You require deep sleep to restore your mind and body; naps only provide light sleep. You\u2019re better off saving the time you would have spent napping by going to bed earlier instead.<\/p>\n<p>Naps aren\u2019t for everyone. Some people love them<br \/>\nwhile others either lie there will their eyes closed until the alarm goes off,<br \/>\nor wake up two hours later in a panic, not knowing what day it is or where they<br \/>\nare!<\/p>\n<p>If you enjoy naps, try to take them in a comfortable place before 3 pm and keep them under 30 minutes. Also, never use them as a replacement for sleep unless you\u2019re ill or sleep-deprived and need your rest.<\/p>\n<p>Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@zohre_nemati?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Zohre Nemati<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/s\/photos\/napping?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a><\/p>\n<span class=\"et_bloom_bottom_trigger\"><\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Many people around the world\u00a0love\u00a0a good nap. In fact, siestas are an integral part of some cultures. A quick nap boosts productivity and performance, according to some research. But, other studies (perhaps controversial) indicate a connection between napping and mortality. Napping during the day increases the risk of premature death by up to a third!&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4078,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1606,605],"aware":[1753],"class_list":["post-6355","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","tag-naps","tag-sleep","aware-wellness"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Are Naps Really Good For Your Health? - Lifestyle<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lifestyle.org\/are-naps-really-good-for-your-health\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Are Naps Really Good For Your Health? - Lifestyle\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Many people around the world\u00a0love\u00a0a good nap. 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