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You might be thinking, there is just too much to do!

What if I told you taking rest during the day will actually make you work better, be more productive and feel like a better person in general?

Studies show power naps are so much more powerful than a food-based, quick energy boost. Science shows us that power naps also have cognitive and health advantages too.

A power nap is a sleep session lasting anywhere between 10 – 30 minutes during the day. But experts warn anything more could bring about sleep inertia – that groggy feeling that takes a little while to shake off.

 

Here is a quick snap shot on how Power Naps can benefit you:

– Increased energy, alertness & mood
– Improved performance including quicker reaction time
– Improvements to creative problem solving
– Better verbal memory
– Greater perceptual learning, object learning, and statistical learning (which help us with math, logical reasoning, and symbol recognition.)
– Improved relaxation

 

Naps also improve our:

– Heart function
– Blood pressure
– Stress levels

 

Even weight management!

Further, sleep experts suggests during nap and other states of relaxation our brains are active in different ways. It’s during this time our brains are having a mental de-clutter, organizing and processing information.

Don’t be surprised to wake with a spark of creativity and bank of creative ideas!

To make the most out of a nap, here are a few tips:

–  keep them short: around 10 – 30 minutes
–  best time is 2pm or 3pm – just before you hit that afternoon slump

create a restful environment in a quiet, dark place (phone off!)

However, please be aware that individual factors such as your need for sleep and sleeping schedule also can play a role in determining the best time to nap.

Try having a couple of 10-20 minute power naps during the week and let me know how it’s benefited you? Journaling is also a good way to see if it is helping you.