A mid-day snooze can be restorative if you time it right.
How Long Should a Nap Be?
Napping is healthy for you as long as it’s done right.
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provides you with some light sleep without dipping into the deeper stages of sleep.
This helps you feel refreshed and still avoids throwing off your nighttime sleep.
Benefits of Napping
Napping the appropriate amount does wonders for both your mental and physical health.
Here are a few of the biggest benefits of napping when it’s done under the right conditions.
Improves Mood
A solid nap can improve your mood and energy levels to help you feel refreshed.
(That’s why the expression goes: “Just sleep on it.")
“The impact [of a nap] is almost immediate.”
“A common myth is that high performers don’t nap,” Brager adds.
“The best athletes and many army soldiers take naps to ensure they’re performing at their best.”
May Boost Heart Health
Naps can alsoimprove heart health.
She also recommends that pregnant women take naps during the day, especially if nighttime sleep is disrupted.
And am I getting seven to eight hours of sleep consistently every night?
If the answer to either is no, you may want to consider taking a nap.
Drink Caffeine Before You Nap
Drinkingcaffeinebeforeyou take a nap is known as a “coffee nap.”
To do this, you may want to nap in a quiet, dark, andcool environment.
Frequent napping may also be a sign of mental health issues like depression.
And if you’renotgetting enough sleep at night, naps won’t help you anyway.
Singh, A. et al.
“Napping: Benefits and Tips.”
