Power Napping Strategy

Do you get an afternoon wave of sleepiness?

Fifteen to 30 minutes of "power napping" in the early afternoon is a healthy habit - researchers say it's good for your brain as well as your body.

A power nap affects the human body and mind much like rebooting affects a computer - it shuts down various systems, files things away, and recharges the entire machine (you, in this case), enabling you to wake up more alert and ready to function well.

What can a short afternoon siesta do for you?

Studies show that a power nap can reduce stress, sharpen your ability to pay attention, improve your decision-making and productivity, and cut back on accidents and mistakes.

Power napping is not a new concept.

Renaissance man Leonardo DaVinci, renowned for his innovative thinking, suggested taking a total of six 15-minute naps each day, four hours apart.

Inventor Thomas Edison took frequent long naps instead of sleeping at night.

DaVinci and Edison's versions of napping fall into the realm of polyphasic sleep - the practice of sleeping multiple times in a 24-hour period.

Sleep researchers believe humans evolved to need an early afternoon nap.

Our circadian rhythm has a natural drop about 12 hours after the middle of our deepest nighttime sleep, preparing us for a nice after-lunch snooze.

For best results, keep naps to 30 minutes or less. You want to avoid reaching delta sleep, the deep-sleep stage that's hard to awaken from and makes you disoriented and groggy for hours after you wake up.

You'll get the most benefit from naps when you schedule them for a regular time and length each day.

Approximately one-third of the world population naps regularly in the afternoon.

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