I don’t know about you guys, but I never had nap times during my years in preschool and kindergarten. Even though kids need to take naps to restore their energy and allow their bodies to grow and fix itself, naps are still vital for youth and even adults. If you’re keen in school, you may undermine naps as a waste of time, and you would much rather stay up thinking a couple of hours to study for an upcoming exam is worthwhile. Wrong! Sleep, as well as naps, are significant factors in success. (Unless you’re like Margaret Atwood and you can get away with four hours of sleep…) Nonetheless, keep in mind the importance of being energized.
- It makes you smarter
According to Dr. Matthew Walker of the University of California, napping for as little as one hour resets your short-term memory and helps you learn facts more easily after you wake up. - Abandon all-nighters
Foregoing sleep by cramming all night reduces your ability to retain information by up to 40%. If you can, mix in a nap somewhere to refresh your hippocampus. - It doesn’t mean what you think
If you know you have to pull an all-nighter, try a “prophylactic nap.” It’s a short nap in advance of expected sleep deprivation that will help you stay alert for up to 10 hours afterwards. - You can’t avoid that down period after lunch by not eating
Human bodies naturally go through two phases of deep tiredness, one between 2-4 a.m. and between 1-3 p.m. Skipping lunch won’t help this period of diminished alertness and coordination. - Pick the right time
After lunch in the early afternoon your body naturally gets tired. This is the best time to take a brief nap, as it’s early enough to not mess with your nighttime sleep. - Hour naps are great
A 60-minute nap improves alertness for 10 hours, although with naps over 45 minutes you risk what’s known as “sleep inertia,” that groggy feeling that may last for half an hour or more. - But short naps are best
For healthy young people, naps as short as 20, 10, or even 2 minutes can be all you need to get the mental benefits of sleep, without risking grogginess. - Drink coffee first
The way this works is you drink a cup of coffee right before taking your 20-minute or half-hour nap, which is precisely how long caffeine takes to kick in. That way when you wake up, you’re not only refreshed, but ready to go. - The NASA nap
A little group called NASA discovered that just a 26-minute nap increases performance by 34% and alertness by 54%. Pilots take advantage of NASA naps while planes are on autopilot. - Can’t sleep? Don’t stress
Even if you can’t fall asleep for a nap, just laying down and resting has benefits. Studies have found resting results in lowered blood pressure. - Napping may save your life
A multi-year Greek study found napping at least three times per week for at least 30 minutes resulted in a 37% lower death rate due to heart problems. - More nap benefits for the brain
Not only will napping improve your alertness, it will also help your decision-making, creativity, and sensory perception. - But wait, there’s more
Studies have found napping raises your stamina 11%, increases ability to stay asleep all night by 12%, and lowers the time required to fall asleep by 14%. - If it was good enough for them…
Presidents JFK and Bill Clinton used to nap every day to help ease the heavy burden of ruling the free world. Of course, they also had other relaxation methods, but we won’t get into those. - Do like the Romans do
In ancient Rome, everyone, including children, retreated for a 2 or 3-hour nap after lunch. No doubt this is the reason the Roman empire lasted over 1,000 years - Don’t wait too long
The latest you want to wake up from a nap is five hours before bedtime, otherwise you risk not being able to fall asleep at night. - Sugar is not a good substitute for a nap
When we are tired, we instinctively reach for foods with a high glycemic index, but after the initial energy wears off, we’re left more tired than we were before. - It’s a good way to catch up
If it takes you less than five minutes to fall asleep at night, you are sleep deprived. If you never can seem to get to bed earlier at night, a mid-day nap is a great way to catch up on sleep. - The Einstein Method
If you are concerned about sleeping too long, do what Albert Einstein regularly did: hold a pencil while you’re drifting off, so when you fall asleep, the pencil dropping will wake you up. (But it does not guarantee you will wake up with a 180 IQ.)