As
a nation, the U.S. appears to be more sleep deprived. It may be our busy
lifestyle that keeps us from napping. Naps do not make up for inadequate or
poor quality nighttime sleep. History’s famous nappers include Winston
Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas
Edison, and George W. Bush. Daytime napping isn’t a lazy habit or just for
children or the elderly. It is a great energizer for adults in the
mid-afternoon.
More than 85% of mammalian species
are polyphasic sleepers, meaning that they sleep for short periods throughout
the day. Humans are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers, meaning that
our days are divided into two distinct periods, one for sleep and one for
wakefulness. It is not clear that this is the natural sleep pattern of humans.
Young children and elderly persons nap. Napping is a very important aspect of
many cultures. Naps can be divided into three distinct kinds:
·
Planned
napping involves
taking a nap before you actually get sleepy. You may use this technique when
you know that you will be up later than your normal bed time or as a mechanism
to ward off getting tired earlier.
·
Emergency
napping occurs
when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you were
originally engaged in. This type of nap can be used to combat drowsy driving or
fatigue while using heavy and dangerous machinery.
·
Habitual
napping is
practiced when a person takes a nap at the same time each day. Young children
may fall asleep at about the same time each afternoon or an adult might take a
short nap after lunch each day.
A short nap is
usually recommended (20-30 minutes) for short-term alertness. This type of nap
provides significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without
leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep. Naps can
restore alertness, enhance performance, and reduce mistakes and accidents. A
study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute
nap improved performance by 34% and alertness 100%.
Napping isn't always the best option
for everyone. Naps can leave people with sleep inertia, especially when they
last more than 10-20 minutes. Sleep inertia is defined as the feeling of
grogginess and disorientation that can come with awakening from a deep sleep,
which usually only lasts for a few minutes to a half-hour.
Napping can
also have a negative effect on other sleeping periods. A long nap or a nap
taken too late in the day may adversely affect the length and quality of
nighttime sleep. If you have trouble sleeping at night, a nap will only amplify
problems. One study has indicated that napping is associated with increased
risk of heart failure in people already at risk.
“Taking naps sounds so childish. I prefer to call them horizontal life
pauses.” (Anonymous)[i]
[i] Sources used:
·
“Health Benefits of Napping” Reviewed by Nayana
Ambardekar
·
“Napping” by National Sleep
Foundation
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