Excellent Benefits Of Taking A Nap

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Winston Churchill, Napoleon Bonaparte, John F Kennedy, Albert Einstein: what was common among these great men? They all understood the benefits of napping and made it a part of their lives. No doubt they must have been very busy people with millions of responsibilities on their shoulders and yet they took time out for napping. So what is this nap and how important is it for us?

A nap is a short duration of shut-eye time that one can catch up on during afternoon, ideally after lunch between 1pm and 3pm. It is often referred to as a power nap because those who ‘indulge’ in it know what positives it brings and how healthy it is.

AMAZING BENEFITS OF KAPALBHATI PRANAYAMA

By nature, almost all animals are polyphasic sleepers; they segregate their day in various sleep and wake up time phases. Have you ever seen a cat sleep during the day? Well, she does take her nap. She, like all the other animals, understands the health benefits of naps.

And one can never doubt the agility and alertness of a cat. Sadly, this is one practice that we humans have grown out of and look upon a nap as signs of laziness and lethargy. We are probably the only ‘animals’ who live a biphasic life – having two distinct phases in a day. Or is it that we have tried to tune our bodies to be so? It’s time we ‘woke’ up to the benefits of napping. Maybe the following reasons can help understand the siesta advantages.

Improves learning and memory: When asleep, the brain recharges itself, prepares the body for another round of activities and learnings. Things learnt just before the nap are run through once again and make a solid place for themselves in the brain. Take a power nap and sharpen your learning and memorising skills. It need not be a very long sleep but a short nap for 10 minutes can do wonders for your brains.

Improves alertness: All hunting animals need to be vigilant, focussed and in great shape to catch prey. And it is a proven fact that all animals take short naps at different intervals during the day. Does that speak in favour of naps? Yes it does. It helps you to stay alert, in fact much more than those who do not take nap. An experiment done with NASA pilots has also proven that by taking a nap, alertness improved by hundred percent.

Improves productivity: Afternoon time breaks our day into two distinct parts. When we wake up in the morning, we are fresh and ready to carry out our duties. Gradually, the energy levels start dipping and after lunch, it may fall really low. This is the time when the body needs a recharge and a nap proves to be just the thing. That short 30 to 40 minute shut-eye time helps the body to bounce back into activity and work even better adding on to the benefits of napping.

Improves creativity: With a tired mind, ideas do not flow. We may try to ward off sleep and continue for various reasons but the brain fails to think fresh. To have a boost of creativity, the mind needs to be a clean slate. Try napping. Once back in action, you will discover fresh and free-flowing ideas. No wonder Albert Einstein took naps.

Wards off stress: Stress is one of the biggest health concerns of modern times. A nap can prove to be an excellent way to keep this problem at bay. The health benefits of naps involve relaxing the brain, muscles and body. This means giving rest to oneself and that in itself can help relieve stress to a great extent.

The world is finally realising the benefits of napping but yet, it has a long way to go. People still need convincing reasons to accept napping as a healthy idea. The mere word nap sounds very baby-like and for many, napping during the day is a waste of time. Thoughts need to be reversed and benefits of napping understood to lead a better quality life.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.