In addition to being hailed by nerds as National Pi Day, which is celebrated by eating copious amounts of pie, March 14 is also recognized as National Napping Day – the only “holiday” in the U.S. where you can snooze during the day without any feeling of guilt.
Some say that Napping Day was established to allow people to catch up on the hour lost due to springing forward for Daylight Saving Time. However, according to research, napping at midday has plenty of health benefits, and some researchers want to see napping made obligatory at work.
Some countries like Spain are known for their afternoon "siestas" where whole cities and villages seem to come to a standstill for at least an hour. At 3:00 p.m. after lunch daily, shops close up and people feel no shame in catching some zzz's in the middle of a work day. But even in the U.S., may adults also take advantage of nap time. According to a study released in 2008 by Pew Social Trends, up to 34 percent of adults take naps.
The Health Benefits Of Napping
Even NASA has conducted studies on the benefits of napping. The Sleep Foundation has published reports that astronauts and military pilots who took 40-minute naps displayed a 34 percent increase in improved performance and 100 percent more alertness.
The Wall Street Journal also reported that the length of a person's nap time also makes a huge difference. Going for short, 10- to 20-minute power naps can boost energy and alertness and improve mood. These so-called “emergency naps” are particularly useful when someone gets so drowsy and they can no longer function normally to continue their task at hand. And they are especially important for people who work around heavy machinery.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, longer naps of 60 to 90 minutes help people remember facts and boost memory, creativity, and improve overall emotional state. Co-author of the book “Sleep for Success,” Dr. Rebecca Robbins says that these longer naps are ideal for people who didn't get an adequate amount of sleep the previous night.
“[It] will help you feel like you’re mentally, physically and energetically restored on a deeper level,” she says.
How To Nap To Boost Work Performance
Dr. Natalie Dautovich, an Environmental Scholar for the National Sleep Foundation, says that people generally start to feel a dip in performance and energy in early to mid-afternoon. According to both Dr. Robbins and her, this makes the ideal nap time window from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
This is the prime time when workers feel sleepy yet still far enough away from bedtime to experience insomnia.
However, experts also agree that an ideal nap should either be short or long – never in the middle. That's because people who take 30- to 40-minute naps are more likely to experience “sleep inertia,” which makes people feel even more groggy and tired after a nap.
Nap time should ideally be undisturbed by noises or light that will affect a person's full cycle of REM, which is essential to getting the best bang for your nap. So put mobile phones on silent and put on a sleeping mask or light-blocking glasses when it's nap time.
So the benefits of nap time can be had throughout the year and not just on National Napping Day. So go ahead, catch some snooze time and #Naptimize at work. Experts agree it's the best way to recharge yourself from that mid-day slump.
Photo : Timothy Brown | Flickr
