Winston Churchill was notorious not only for his acidic remarks and comments but for his embarrassingly high insistence on having a nap every afternoon. In fact, he had been emphatically asserting that his afternoon naps had been responsible for his high productivity. Even health experts corroborate with the fact that napping can be immensely useful in enhancing our productivity. Power naps can refresh our mind and rejuvenate our energy. A number of creative people also insist that napping brings the best out of them.
Several studies have revealed that those who are into stress-causing tasks can prevent their negative impact by having a nap on a regular basis. Medical experts also opine that if those with heart ailments have a nap during afternoons, they can keep at bay the risks related to those ailments. But how to have effective naps? Let us have a look.
All of us think all types of sleep are one and the same. But the fact is that sleep consists of 5 stages. The physiological changes that happen in each of these stages are different. Before having the best benefits out of your napping, you must know what these stages are.
In stage 1, you will just be dripping off. In stage 2, your brain activity will become slow. If you move from stage 1 to stage 2 during your nap, you will be more energized and will feel alert when you wake up. On the other hand, if you move to stage 3 and stage 4, you may not be able to wake up easily because these stages belong to the category of 'deep sleep.' Even if you wake up, you may feel dazed and tired. According to sleep experts, stage 1 and stage 2 will last just for 10 minutes each. This means after a nap of about 20 minutes, you will be alert. Your learning skills will also have improved significantly.
Though the total duration of stage 1 sleep and stage 2 sleep is generally 20 minutes, some people may take less time or a little more time to glide from stage 1 to stage 2. Not only that, a few other factors also influence a person's ability to have an afternoon nap. For example, if you are sleep-deprived or if you have not slept well the previous night, your reaction to an afternoon nap may be different.
How can you practice for such 20-minute naps?
1. The most important tip is that you must choose the best and the most suitable time for your nap. In general, the best time for an afternoon nap is between 1 PM and 3 PM because your energy level may be very low during this period, thanks to the increased secretion of a hormone called melatonin in your body. So, it is better to schedule your nap between 1 PM and 3 PM.
2. Never nap before you retire for bed even if you could not have had your afternoon nap. If you do so, it may negatively impact your night-time sleep.
3. Ensure that the duration of your nap does not exceed 30 minutes. If you allow your nap to exceed 30 minutes, you may drift into the "deep sleep" stage by waking from which you are likely to feel tired and dazed. By setting an alarm, you can avoid over-sleeping.
4. By having a dark surrounding, you can have a good nap. You can have a dark environment by using an eye pillow or a face mask.
5. Ensure to have a quiet space for having your afternoon nap. Some people may prefer white noise because the hum of this noise may bring about a calming effect on them.
"How Cell Phones Are Mocking at Our Wisdom?" is the new hub post I have written. Please visit https://hubpages.com/family/How-Cell-Phones-are-Mocking-at-Our-Wisdom to read it.
By Raman Kuppuswamy
Article Source: This Formula Is Worth Trying For Increasing Your Productivity
Several studies have revealed that those who are into stress-causing tasks can prevent their negative impact by having a nap on a regular basis. Medical experts also opine that if those with heart ailments have a nap during afternoons, they can keep at bay the risks related to those ailments. But how to have effective naps? Let us have a look.
All of us think all types of sleep are one and the same. But the fact is that sleep consists of 5 stages. The physiological changes that happen in each of these stages are different. Before having the best benefits out of your napping, you must know what these stages are.
In stage 1, you will just be dripping off. In stage 2, your brain activity will become slow. If you move from stage 1 to stage 2 during your nap, you will be more energized and will feel alert when you wake up. On the other hand, if you move to stage 3 and stage 4, you may not be able to wake up easily because these stages belong to the category of 'deep sleep.' Even if you wake up, you may feel dazed and tired. According to sleep experts, stage 1 and stage 2 will last just for 10 minutes each. This means after a nap of about 20 minutes, you will be alert. Your learning skills will also have improved significantly.
Though the total duration of stage 1 sleep and stage 2 sleep is generally 20 minutes, some people may take less time or a little more time to glide from stage 1 to stage 2. Not only that, a few other factors also influence a person's ability to have an afternoon nap. For example, if you are sleep-deprived or if you have not slept well the previous night, your reaction to an afternoon nap may be different.
How can you practice for such 20-minute naps?
1. The most important tip is that you must choose the best and the most suitable time for your nap. In general, the best time for an afternoon nap is between 1 PM and 3 PM because your energy level may be very low during this period, thanks to the increased secretion of a hormone called melatonin in your body. So, it is better to schedule your nap between 1 PM and 3 PM.
2. Never nap before you retire for bed even if you could not have had your afternoon nap. If you do so, it may negatively impact your night-time sleep.
3. Ensure that the duration of your nap does not exceed 30 minutes. If you allow your nap to exceed 30 minutes, you may drift into the "deep sleep" stage by waking from which you are likely to feel tired and dazed. By setting an alarm, you can avoid over-sleeping.
4. By having a dark surrounding, you can have a good nap. You can have a dark environment by using an eye pillow or a face mask.
5. Ensure to have a quiet space for having your afternoon nap. Some people may prefer white noise because the hum of this noise may bring about a calming effect on them.
"How Cell Phones Are Mocking at Our Wisdom?" is the new hub post I have written. Please visit https://hubpages.com/family/How-Cell-Phones-are-Mocking-at-Our-Wisdom to read it.
By Raman Kuppuswamy
Article Source: This Formula Is Worth Trying For Increasing Your Productivity