Work and everyday stresses can take their toll on your body and mind. Excessive strain can lead to burnout, mental health problems, physical health problems like blood pressure, etc. Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle is very stressful with poor work-life balance. That’s one of the reasons why even big companies like Google encourage their employees to take daytime naps.
You don’t have to spend too much time napping because just 90 minutes is enough to reboot the brain and rejuvenate you. Many adults hesitate to indulge in naps because they believe it is for children. Some think daytime naps might have a negative impact on nighttime sleep, but that’s not the case.
You just need to make sure your nap length is relatively short. If you take a 3-4 hour siesta, the sleep cycle will be disrupted and that will affect the nighttime sleep cycle. Here are some reasons why daytime naps are important for your brain:
1. The Eight-Hour Sleep Cycle is a Recent Trend
Different cultures have different notions when it comes to sleep cycles. Countries with hot or temperate climates like India, Spain, Italy, Greece, etc., have a “napping” culture where people will take 2 to 3 hours to finish lunch and take a nap. They also have the habit of getting up early and sleeping at a relatively modest time.
This two-sleep schedule has worked well to keep their minds active and alert during rest of the day. Chinese employees are known to place their head on the desk for a short 1-hour nap before or after lunch. All of these factors boost productivity and prove that the 8-hour cycle doesn’t have to be the norm. Studies have shown that giving the brain a break can help a person feel much more focused and energetic.
2. Sleep Deprivation Hampers The Brain’s Ability to Focus
Sleep deprived people will perform at the same level of efficiency as someone who has had a restful sleep. This means if you give both individuals the same task, their performance will be equal. But maintaining that level of competence is difficult if you’re sleep deprived as your brain will have trouble refocusing.
Almost everyone loses their focus, especially if they have to perform repetitive tasks. A person who has slept well will lose attention for a short span of time before the brain reacts and increases focus. This is where a sleep-deprived brain falters because once you lose focus, there’s little to no reaction.
The brain simply fails to get back to the task, which is why a power nap can help. Even a 20-minute break with absolutely no disturbances can help rewire it and put you back on the right track. However, if you don’t have the ability to focus despite getting ample sleep, it is time to consult a Las Vegas Neurologist because the problem might lie elsewhere.
3. Prevents Burnouts
Our minds are constantly subjected to information and stimulation. This can cause a considerable amount of stress to the brain. Constantly calculating data, making logical leaps, providing creative input, and making decisions can overload the mind. This leads to a drop in productivity and performance.
There was a study conducted in Massachusetts involving students who weren’t sleep deprived. They were asked to stare at the screen filled with horizontal bars. Every once in a while, three diagonal bars would flash on the screen and students were asked to identify if they were stacked vertical or horizontal.
They underwent this frustrating task 1,250 times in a day. Results showed that students who took an hour’s nap performed better than those who didn’t. Similar tests indicated that the brain becomes overstimulated after three trials, which led to burnout. The only way to remove such stress and overstimulation is through a nap or full sleep.
4. The Effect of a Nap Lasts for a Long Time</h2
The effects of a good, restful nap can last for a long time and will see you through the rest of the day. For example, an hour’s nap will help a person stay alert until dinner time. 2 or 3-hour naps will cause drowsiness for at least an hour before the brain refocuses.
Once the brain has refocused, you will be alert for at least 5 to 6 hours easily. It’s a good idea to limit the nap to under 90 minutes for best results because you don’t want to slip into a deep sleep in the middle of the day. Deep sleep shouldn’t be interrupted as it can cause drowsiness and increase fatigue.
Naps have a positive impact on memory and can help you retain information better. A study proved this by providing test subjects with cards to memorize. After they had memorized the cards, they got a 40-minute break. One part of the group napped during this break while the other stayed awake. Unsurprisingly, the group that napped performed much better than the group that didn’t.
It indicates that napping helps your mind solidify and store memories efficiently. This happens because information is first stored in the hippocampus immediately after memorization. This memory can become lost because it can be easily overwritten by other data. Napping pushes this memory to the neocortex, which provides permanent storage. This ensures the information isn’t easily overwritten, and that preserves your memory for a long time.
Weak and fragile memory can sometimes be a sign of degenerative diseases. If you experience unexplained memory loss or have difficulty retaining information, contact a good neurologist to determine the root cause.
The left part of the brain, which is dominant in most individuals, is fairly silent and inactive during a nap. The right side of the brain is very active during this time and researchers speculate this is because it’s performing a cleanup. During this active period, the right side pushes memories deeper and sorts through pending tasks that are in the way. When you wake up, all lingering information is sorted and the brain is ready for more challenges.
As you can see, a nap can have a significant impact on the brain, mental health, and you’re your physical health. It’s why Silver State Neurology recommends that people of all ages take short naps during the course of their day.