The nap rocks. Whether it comes at noon on a hungover day, 3pm after a long day of work, or at 5pm before a powerful night of drinking, it always seems to serve a purpose. I feel as if I am a professional at napping, but there are definitely some naps that are better than others. Everyone I talk to seems to know the recipe for the perfect nap..."20 minutes," "30 minutes," "45 minutes."
I am set out today to find that exact formula.
Most scientists argue that Sleep has 4 stages.
Stage 1-light sleep where you drift in and out of sleep and can be awakened easily. The eyes move slowly and muscle activity slows.
Stage 2-eye movement stops and brain waves become slower with only an occasional burst of rapid brain waves.
Stage 3-extremely slow brain waves called delta waves are interspersed with smaller, faster waves(REM begins)
Stage 4- the brain produces delta waves almost exclusively. WIth the amount of boozing we've done, we probably have not experienced stage 4 sleep in about 6 years. (Exclusively REM)
-Studies show that 20 minutes of sleep in the afternoon provides more rest than 20 minutes more sleep in the morning. The body seems to be designed for this, as most people’s bodies naturally become more tired in the afternoon, about 8 hours after we wake up.
-Many experts advise to keep the nap between 15 and 30 minutes, as sleeping longer gets you into deeper stages of sleep, from which it’s more difficult to awaken. Also, longer naps can make it more difficult to fall asleep at night. However, Some* research has shown that a 1-hour nap has many more restorative effects than a 30-minute nap, including a much greater improvement in cognitive functioning. From personal experience, the longer naps leave me a bit groggy. However, if after a long nap I get out of bed quickly and begin to function normally (as opposed to laying in bed like a bumdum) I tend to be OK.
-A short afternoon catnap of 20 minutes yields mostly Stage 2 sleep, which enhances alertness and concentration, elevates mood, and sharpens motor skills. Naps of up to 45 minutes may also include rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which enhances creative thinking and boosts sensory processing.
The overall message** we can take away from this is that naps are good! Regardless how long they are for, they allow your body some type of positive improvement. If a nap exceeds 6 hours, it is considered a night's sleep. . Whether considered a catnap, powernap, or my personal favorite-midsummer afternoon's dream-I will forever live and die(and sleep) by the nap.
Too much napping and........
**some information provided by umdnj.edu
nice
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