Power Napping
From www.mensjournal.com
Research is starting to show what most of us have known all along:
naps are wicked good for you. However, there's a difference between a
"good nap" and a "power nap." Mens Journal has written up a practical
guide on how to achieve the mystical power nap:
- The first consideration is psychological: Recognize that you're not being lazy; napping will make you more productive and more alert after you wake up.
- Try to nap in the morning or just after lunch; human circadian rhythms make late afternoons a more likely time to fall into deep (slow-wave) sleep, which will leave you groggy.
- Avoid consuming large quantities of caffeine as well as foods that are heavy in fat and sugar, which meddle with a person's ability to fall asleep
- Instead, in the hour or two before your nap time, eat foods high in calcium and protein, which promote sleep.
- Find a clean, quiet place where passersby and phones won't disturb you
- Try to darken your nap zone, or wear an eyeshade. Darkness stimulates melatonin, the sleep- inducing hormone.
- Remember that body temperature drops when you fall asleep. Raise the room temperature or use a blanket.
- Once you are relaxed and in position to fall asleep, set your alarm for the desired duration.
Now, the nap time that seems to give the greatest benefits is righthere in the 5 to 20 minutes range; however, up to 50 minutes can still give you a bit of a boost. How about you -are you a power napper? How'd you get that way, and what benefits have you seen?
posted by Peter Konnecke at
10:49
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