Why You Should Be Napping
Why Nap?
Studies on sleep have found that napping has value. Unfortunately, our North American culture has been brought up to believe that napping is closely akin to laziness. Nothing could be further from the truth. Research has shown that not only do nappers show better mental acuity but their sleep is also better for it. We just need to get in synch with other cultures of our world and see the benefits of napping. That means getting away from the notion that napping = sleeping = laziness.
Here are some ways to break this paradigm.
- See napping as a positive thing that allows us to be more productive which is the opposite of lazy.
- Stop fighting our bodies need to nap which will improve the effectiveness of napping.
- Don’t try to schedule naps and grab them when you can. Like when commuting in cars, trains and airplanes.
- Pay attention to length of nap and time of day. Taking naps that last too long, or too often or at the wrong time of day can work against you. Figure out the balance that works for you.
- See napping as taking a break. Remember how restorative just doing nothing can be.
I hope you found this article useful and that you will consider exploring the benefits of napping in your day to day life. The cultures around the world that value napping reap the health benefits from it. We in North America should follow their lead.
Do you nap? Leave me a comment and tell me how it has helped you.
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