Why Taking Naps Is A Good Thing

Nap time for kids might as well be a daily death sentence. Remember how awful it was in school? Quiet time. Terrible. I know napping for children can be beneficial, but secretly I think it's more for the sanity of the teacher than for the benefit of the child.  

Thirty minutes is just enough time to stop Ms. Davis’ ears from bleeding and for her eyes to uncross.   

So it’s ironic that as an adult, we would give anything for a midday snooze. Imagine every day at 2 p.m. your boss passes out chocolate milk and cookies right before reading you a story. And if you could get pass his awkward attempt at reenacting the voice of Pinocchio, it might be kind of cool.

But unless you work at Google , or Dunder Mifflin, the chances of your boss acting like a puppet, handing out snacks and claiming to be“a real boy” are probably pretty slim.

Too bad.  

Multiple studies, from NASA to airline flight crews to Harvard, are showing that just a 20-minute power nap can increase brain function, memory, relaxation, learning, focus, alertness and awareness. That short nap can provide way more than what you think that five-hour energy drink, Red Bull or afternoon coffee is doing.     

“Hey! Crazy blonde girl. I don't have 20 minutes in the middle of the day to devote to a nap. And pretty sure Pinocchio won't buy it.”

OK, I understand. Not everyone has time for a nap and certainly not everyone is like me, who can fall asleep anywhere. Just last week I found myself waking up in an abandoned parking lot after I decided I couldn't make the extra block home. Like a snake in the sun, I find I'm drawn to hot cement.  

Ten to 20 minutes later (I don't know, snakes don't wear watches) I felt re-energized, motivated and ready for the rest of my day. Point is, take naps if you can. Even if it’s in your car at lunch, drooling at your desk or laying on your couch. Keep them to 40 minutes or less. More than that will cause drowsiness and get in the way of your night’s sleep.

Can't sneak a nap in? What about getting enough rest at night? We know human beings need about 7.5 to 9 hours of sleep each night, but how many of us actually accomplish that? We act like it's no big deal, that we don't have time and can manage on five or six hours. The problem is, we go into a sleep deficit and it will eventually catch up to us. It's like jury duty: Can't escape it forever.   

Rest is an integral part of your overall health. Whether it’s a nap or getting the full eight at night, you need to recharge your batteries. Below are seven reasons why you will now care about your lack of sleep.

1. It’s making you fat. Do I have your attention now? Lack of sleep can cause your body to increase ghrelin, the “I’m hungry” hormone and decrease leptin, the “I’m full and satisfied” hormone.  It may also trigger you to eat high-fat, high-carbohydrate foods.

2. It's aging your skin. Dark circles and puffy bags aside, sleep loss could be breaking down the collagen in your skin, keeping you from looking fresh and vibrant.

3. You're grumpy and nobody wants to be around you. Enough said.

4. It's causing frustration, lack of focus, anxiety, elevated stress levels and all other negative things. You know what it's like to be overly tired. It's impossible to focus on anything except how exhausted you are.  

5. It's decreasing cognitive function. You know: feeling, thinking, problem solving, creating, organizing, learning and everything else we need to deal with our day.

6. You can't recover from workouts. We don't actually grow and get stronger when we work out. It happens when we sleep. So if you're not sleeping, you're kind of sabotaging your workouts. 

7. It's causing death! Well, it can. A triple chance of causing an accident and becoming obese and a double chance getting heart disease. Quick! Everybody nap!

My recommendation? Get your zzzzzzzs. They are important little letters.

What do you think? Do you agree with napping and getting in enough sleep at night? Let me know below. Tell me in the comments.