The Power of Napping
Is taking a nap a guilty pleasure for you? Or do you feel that you are wasting time if you take an afternoon snooze? Do you share with others that you regularly take naps? Are you afraid that a nap will make it difficult for you to sleep at night?
A siesta, riposo, or afternoon nap is common in many areas of the world, particularly in hot, humid climates. In fact, businesses, museums, and shops in these areas often shut down for a couple of hours. Proprietors and employees sleep after their midday meal and return rejuvenated, having avoided working during the hottest hours of the day.
In the United States, a siesta might be viewed negatively, whereas the term power nap is viewed as a way to become more alert, energetic, and productive. James Mass, a Cornell University professor and internationally recognized authority on sleep and performance, coined the phrase power nap after studying power breakfasts. (Earlier, we would have called this kind of nap a catnap.) Though Dr. Mass certainly didn’t invent the idea of an afternoon nap, his concept is that by limiting a nap to 20 minutes, the brain and body are refreshed because they have experienced just the first two stages of sleep. A nap of more than 30 minutes may put a person into slow-wave or deep sleep, which will interfere with night-time sleeping, as well as causing grogginess or disorientation upon awaking.
Power Napping in the Workforce
Power napping has become so popular in the working world that some corporations provide nap-inducing facilities. Off-premise facilities, such as MetroNaps located in New York’s Empire State Building, are sleeping sanctuaries, featuring special sleep chairs, sleeping pods, and sleep-inducing music. Such facilities are cropping up in many cities for people to visit during their lunch times. In addition, all kinds of aids to encourage sleep are on the market, such as voice-guided sleep apps, relaxing music, and special pillows.
Historically, nappers can find allies in Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Ronald Reagan, and Winston Churchill, who all recognized the benefits of regular afternoon naps. If you surveyed your friends and associates of any age, you likely would find that many of them frequently enjoy a midday snooze.
When still in the workforce, my husband would often prop his feet on his office desk, lean back in his chair, and sleep for about 20 minutes after lunch. He found that his energy rose and his mind was more alert to concentrate on his work the rest of the day. While my children were little, I often took Sunday afternoon naps and awoke from them feeling blissful.
Seniors Have an Increased Need for Naps
Since most seniors are retired from the workforce or from running a household with children of various ages, how does power napping apply to them? Not only do power naps help people of all ages perform better, they also provide many health and personal benefits.
Seniors, who particularly need sleep, usually wake up one or more times during the night. The cumulative effect of interrupted sleep or not getting enough sleep results in drowsiness, less energy, reduced sense of well-being, impaired reaction time, and less acute memory and judgment. The 20-minutes or so of power napping is more beneficial than simply adding 20 minutes to night-time sleeping because it refreshes us in the middle of the day when our energy tends to wane.
So Many Good Reasons to Nap
“Daytime naps can be one way to treat sleep deprivation,” said Sara C. Mednick, Ph.D, a sleep researcher at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life. "You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping. You reset the system and get a burst of alertness and increased motor performance. That's what most people really need to stave off sleepiness and get an energy boost."
Dr. Mednick noted that “napping benefits heart functioning, hormonal maintenance, and cell repair.” Gerard Lombardo, M.D., director of the New York Methodist Hospital Sleep Disorder Center and author of Sleep to Save Your Life, explained that naps will bring your heart rate down, reduce stress, and calm your mind.
Napping also provides psychological benefits. “A nap can be a pleasant luxury, a mini-vacation. It can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation,” claims the National Sleep Foundation.
Short naps are usually recommended for seniors so as not to interfere with night-time sleeping. Short naps of about 20 minutes are also recommended because a longer nap can leave a person feeling groggy or less rested.
Maximize the Benefits of Napping
How can you maximize your power nap, your siesta, your ein Schläfchen, or whatever you wish to call it?
“Napping is just like any other skill—the more you practice, the better you get,” says William Anthony, Ph.D., executive director of the Boston University Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation and vice-president of the Napping Company, an organization that endeavors to share the benefits of napping.
1. Put yourself in a napping frame of mind and give yourself permission to take a nap.
2. For most people, early afternoon naps are most beneficial.
3. Create a comfortable environment for your nap. You may be a person who can nap in a recliner, or your bed may be the only place you can easily nap.
4. A quiet room will enhance your nap. Taking a nap while watching television will be less restful. Turn off your phone; use earplugs if needed.
5. Darken the room or use an eye mask.
6. Since the body temperature drops when a person is asleep, grab a blanket or turn up the heat in the room.
7. You may wish to set your alarm to awaken you so that you don’t sleep too long. Setting an alarm will eliminate worry over waking up appropriately. After a period of habitual napping, you likely will wake up on your own.
Each person, of course, needs to find what works best for them in terms of nap length, sleep conditions, and frequency. Some seniors with health challenges need several naps during the day in order to keep going. The important thing is to respond to the specific needs of your body in your specific time of life and level of health.
You’re not lazy if you take naps, and napping is not necessarily a sign of old age. You are making an investment that gives great returns—a healthier, more relaxed, more alert, and happier you!
By Janet Peterson