We all know it: we’re sitting at the computer and suddenly we realize that our eyes are closing by themselves. Yawning, the feeling of sand in your eyes, and your mind going blank from fatigue certainly don’t have a positive effect on our productivity. See what a simple nap can do for you.
A nap may seem like a waste of time to some – nothing could be further from the truth! A quick nap is a way to make up for sleep deficits. We’re overworked and overtired these days and often don’t get as much sleep as we should.
By taking a nap, you will improve your mood and increase your productivity. It’s obviously not as effective as a real, deep night’s sleep, but it allows your body to recover quickly and get rid of the feeling of sleepiness.
During a nap, our body produces adrenaline and noradrenaline. These are the hormones responsible for stimulating the heart rate, thus influencing better blood supply to the brain. The brain then works more efficiently, and we are more creative. If you feel distracted, try a fifteen-minute nap! This will help you focus and sharpen your mind. Also, during the light sleep phase, our best ideas come to us so that after a nap we can wake up with brand new plans.
Taking a nap during the day has a salutary effect on your mood and reduces stress levels. During a short nap the level of cortisol, a stress hormone, decreases, while serotonin, a happy hormone, is released. Regular naps can significantly reduce our daily stress. Thus, sleep during the day has a very good impact not only on our mood, but also improves long-term health. Occasional napping also improves mood and helps you cope with stressful situations
Fatigue has a very negative effect on our brain, and prolonged lack of sleep can even lead to memory damage. This is because during sleep, data is stored in long-term memory. Taking care to provide your body with an adequate amount of sleep improves memory. Long-term memory is responsible for, among other things, our intuition and choices guided by it.
Studies have shown that a half-hour nap during the day allows us to better listen to our body, making us more alert to changes in it. After a short sleep, our intuition is sharpened, which affects how we feel. This increased alertness makes it easier for us to notice, for example, upcoming energy dips. By knowing your body well and listening to it, you can also spot the beginnings of a cold and start supporting your immunity earlier.
Because sleep allows us to remember things better, napping while studying can make it more effective. During long hours of repeating material for an exam, it’s a good idea to take a fifteen to twenty minute nap break. Thanks to it, we will assimilate new information better, and further study, thanks to rapid recovery, will go more efficiently and pleasantly.
Taking a nap during the day, as we mentioned, reduces stress levels, regenerates the body and allows to make up for sleep deficit. All these factors have a beneficial effect on our health. A strong, well-rested body defends itself better against infections than a body weakened by exhaustion. Nowadays immunity is extremely important, so it is worth taking a nap!
A nap is not a waste of time. Several minutes of sleep per day has an incredibly positive effect on our body. At the same time replenishing deficiencies after a sleepless night, we take care of our body and mind. Knowing the benefits of naps, it’s a shame not to take advantage of them, after all, napping can be a form of self-care!
Main article photo: Photo by Zohre Nemati, source: unsplash.com
