Here at SleepSwag, one of our core values is pretty straightforward: Good sleep improves lives. However, your journey to being well rested doesn’t have to happen only at night! Here are five reasons we think you should schedule more naps in your life:
Naps Can Improve Your Mood
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), napping is a great way to improve your mood, alertness, and performance. “A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. It can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation.” Napping can also increase your productivity, and feeling accomplished after a long day is a great way to boost your mood!Napping is a Natural Way to Improve Your Health
Our regular sleep routines do a lot to keep us healthy, but naps can serve as a beneficial supplement. According to Mayo Clinic, “napping offers various benefits for healthy adults,” including:
- Increased relaxation
- Reduced fatigue
- Increased alertness
- Improved mood (see above)
- Quicker reaction time
- Better memory
Studies Support Napping
Won’t napping make it harder for me to fall asleep at night? Maybe not! According to this article on Bloomberg, “research has found that napping does not interfere with nocturnal sleep unless you have severe insomnia.” Even NASA has an opinion on napping! A 2005 study showed that naps were effective at improving working memory and performance. Learn more about the study here.Napping Can Happen Almost Anywhere
When looking for a short, restful napping opportunity, you’re not limited to places you can only find in your own home. Great naps can be found on the on the subway, in the grass at a public park or other quiet places in nature, and some employers even offer napping spaces to employees. Many naps occur during waking hours, so finding a way to keep light from your eyes can sometimes be difficult. However, a sunny day doesn’t have to prevent you from a much-needed snooze! You can create your own perfect sleep environment with a light blocking sleep mask. Put on a comfortable sleep mask (we have 20 stylish options here) and you’ll be one step closer to “lights out!” Sleep masks are also small and easy to carry, making it convenient for you to keep one on hand in case you find the perfect napping spot.
Napping Doesn’t Waste Your Time
It’s easy to make time for a nap! Mayo Clinic also recommends the best napping time to be somewhere in mid-afternoon around 2:00 or 3:00 p.m. However, even if you can’t nap at that time it’s easy to find some time during your day to catch some ZZZ’s! According to NSF, a short nap of 20-30 minutes is enough time to improve short-term alertness. The next time someone says that you nap too much, you can say you’re doing it for a good reason! Was this blog helpful to you? Tell us about it! Continue the conversation with us on social media. We would love to hear from you!Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest
Sweet Dreams, --The SleepSwag Team
Other helpful links we found while researching this blog: 6 Convincing Reasons to Take a Nap Today - The Huffington Post How to Nap at Work - Prevention