Sleeping is important not only for mental but for physical wellness too. But the role that power nap plays in our well-being is something that is rarely taken into consideration. Let us know why power nap is important and what all incredible benefits it provides.

Power naps can alleviate our so-called sleep deficits, but they can also boost our brains, including improvements to creative problem solving, verbal memory, perceptual learning, object learning, and statistical learning. They help us with math, logical reasoning, our reaction times, and symbol recognition. Naps improve our mood and feelings of sleepiness and fatigue. Not only that, napping is good for our heart, blood pressure, stress levels, and surprisingly, even weight management.

Without a mid-day power nap, an individual cannot perform at an optimum level throughout the day. A short snooze has the ability to improve dexterity, skills, and aptitude. It refreshes mood and makes our mind more attentive. You must have noticed that young children and elderly people usually have a habit of taking a nap during the day around the same time, every day. And some people tend to doze off soon after lunch. Sometimes, when you feel exhausted or tired, you feel a need to take a power nap.

What is the best time to take a Power nap?
A power nap is a sleep session that happens during the day (ideally between 1:00 to 4:00 PM) lasting between 10 and 30 minutes. Any longer and you run the risk of developing “sleep inertia” — that unpleasant groggy feeling that takes a considerable amount of time to shake off. And naps later than 4:00 PM can disrupt your regular nighttime sleep.

Research shows that when we are sleeping, our brain goes through a pattern of sleep comprising NREM (non-rapid eye movement) and REM (rapid-eye movement). During NREM sleep, our mind enters into a slow-wave sleep or deep sleep. This is useful in refreshing mind, helps us to remember facts, places and faces better. A power nap also helps us to do this. Interestingly, power naps clear the information from the temporary storage areas of our brain and rejuvenate it for new information. So, taking a nap is like pressing the refresh button.

How to power nap at work?
Did you know Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Leonardo da Vinci, were all passionate power nappers! Quite obviously, offices don’t have a room labeled as “NAP ROOM”. If couches are available in the office, use them. Find a quiet corner maybe in the lunchroom or conference room. A safe place where you can put your head down, without any distraction is an acceptable place to take a power nap. While traveling, stick in some earplugs and imagine yourself in an isolated place and doze off.

Benefits of Power Nap:

• Increases alertness.
• Improves learning and working memory
• Prevents burnout and reverses information overload
• Heightens your senses and creativity
• Improves health
• Improves mood

Let’s try taking our Power nap..you will notice huge amplification in your energies!