Napping, not just for babies.
Sleep is just as important as nutrition and exercise when it comes to improving your health, performance, and body composition, but sometimes a good night of sleep is simply not in the cards.
Whether it’s kids, a spouse, animals, a deadline, noise, or just plain insomnia, sometimes that good night of sleep slips through our fingers and leaves us dragging the next day (or few). When this happens, what does science tell us about napping?
⅓ of American adults partake in a short bout of sleep fondly called a nap but not any nap is helpful and the type of nap you need is often dependent on several important factors.
The micro-nap: This nap is defined as a short episode of sleep that is usually less than 30 minutes in duration. The micro-nap is most beneficial for athletes to improve performance, and shift workers to reduce fatigue / promote alertness. If you are not in either of those categories, but are generally well-rested, a micro nap can be refreshing. If you are in a state of sleep deprived, a micro nap may provide a slight benefit but will not be enough to resolve it.
The moderate-nap; This nap falls into the 30-60 minute category and is regarded as the best, most efficient nap length for a quick boost of energy. While this length nap will not completely cure sleep deprivation, a study of sleep deprived participants found that errors in directions they were given were reduced with every 10 minutes of napping.
The long nap: Naps lasting longer than one hour, while they might be appealing, long naps seem to quickly lose their benefits not only leaving you groggy for up to an hour after your nap, but also inhibiting your ability to get to sleep that evening. Studies have also shown an association with significantly higher risk of cardiovascular disease as well as all-cause mortality in naps lasting longer than 60 minutes compared to those who did not nap. The exception: those who are sleep deprived, long naps of 90 to 120 minutes seem to be the best in alleviating the symptoms of sleep deprivation.
