Benefits of a Power Nap

CEBU, Philippines - With the increased population come higher noise levels. And there are now more industries in order to cater to and support more people. There are more people talking, more machines running. As life rushes more, the world can’t help but be noisier.

Thus, getting enough sleep – particularly restful sleep – sometimes feels like an impossible feat. In fact, according to the Center for Diseases Control (CDC), more than one-third of the population is sleeping less than the recommended seven to nine hours each night. And, to compensate, many people try getting a quick nap whenever they can.

It turns out that napping is really a good practice. Not only will a quick nap work to reenergize a person, but it can also make the fellow more efficient and perform better at work. Naps help with attention, concentration, memory, mood, and stress management, according to Shelby F. Harris, Psy.D., director of the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at the Sleep-Wake Disorders Center at Montefiore Medical Center.

How long shall a nap be? One who naps for 15 minutes may already reap the benefits. There is something called power nap, which is a godsend, according to James B. Maas, Ph.D., sleep expert, professor and past chair of the psychology department at Cornell University, and creator of the phrase "power nap." Many employers in the U.S. agree; more and more companies "are now having napping policies and they're putting in nap rooms or nap pods where their workers can go for 15 or 20 minutes and take a power nap," Maas says.

The website www.self.com illustrates how a midday power nap is done:

1. Keep it short and sweet at just 15 to 20 minutes.

"Any longer and it will make you groggy for up to an hour or so after you come out of your power nap," Maas says. That's because your body will eventually fall into deep sleep, and waking up during a deep sleep stage is quite difficult and disorienting.

It can also cause confusional arousal or sleep drunkenness, which is when you are up but haven’t fully snapped out of sleep (like that time you woke up and started frantically getting dressed for work even though it was Sunday afternoon), explains Rachel Salas, M.D., associate professor of neurology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. "A lot of people are prone to parasomnia," or abnormal behaviors during sleep, she adds, which could be anything from sleepwalking to sleep eating or texting. If you fall into deep sleep during a nap, "it's possible you could have these happen."

To take a longer nap, it’s advisable to have a solid 90 minutes. That'll allow getting through a full sleep cycle, Maas explains, so by the time one wakes up, he'll be back in the lighter stages of sleep and able to get up and actually feel refreshed.

2. Plan your nap for between lunchtime and 3 p.m.

The Spaniards know what they're doing – siesta time is planned perfectly for when the body needs a nap. "Humans have a normal, natural dip in their circadian rhythm," in the afternoon, Salas says. "That’s actually prime time to take a nap." So that post-lunch energy crash, when one can't seem to focus on work anyway, is the ideal window to take a quick snooze. One only has to make sure to wrap it up before 3 p.m. – the longer the nap, the greater chance to have a tough time falling asleep that night.

3. Find the right napping environment.

Of course napping at work might not be possible for everyone, but there are some things that can be done to sneak it in. "If you're not at home, find a spot where you can recline or put your head down," Harris says. You can get creative – Maas says he's heard of people surreptitiously napping by disappearing to the restroom for 15 minutes and locking themselves in a stall, or sneaking out to their car to lie down for a little bit. Those who have their own office may have it much easier. If not, one can even just try putting his or her head down at the work desk.

When one can control the environment – napping at home or in one’s own office – he should do a few things to fall asleep faster and make the nap more efficient. "Make it as dark as possible, use a white noise machine if you can (many smartphones have white noise apps you can download) or use earplugs," Harris suggests.

Salas recommends an eye mask, too. "Light can pass through the eyelids and still be alerting." Temperature is also important. About 68 or 69 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal, Salas says. "Might not be easy to do at work," she concedes, but a blanket or changing to lighter clothes can help one adjust.

4. Try drinking coffee immediately before.

The "coffee nap" has gotten a lot of praise lately, and sleep experts agree there are big benefits. The logic goes that if drinking a cup of coffee, he should set his alarm for 20 minutes, and sneak in a quick nap, the coffee will have time to start working while he sleeps and give him a double jolt of energy when he wakes up.

"People think if they drink caffeine they won't be able to take a nap, but that's incorrect,” Maas explains. “It takes about 20 minutes for caffeine to get absorbed into the body and work." So if coffee is times right, it'll kick in right after the alarm goes off.

5. If you have insomnia, skip the nap altogether.

Unfortunately, the most sleep-deprived people shouldn't be napping midday, experts warn. "Anybody with insomnia should never power nap, because it's going to make it worse," Maas says. "If you're having trouble going to sleep at night or have disruptive sleep where you're waking up in the middle of the night, the first thing you have to look at is if you've been napping during day." He explains that this is a common problem among senior citizens, who might nod off during the day and then find themselves sleeping very restlessly at night.

Also, those with undiagnosed or untreated sleep apnea may have a tough time reaping the benefits of a power nap, Harris says. "Even a short nap can be un-refreshing if the quality of the sleep is disrupted by [sleep] apnea." That's just going to defeat the whole purpose of napping in the first place. If constantly tired and can't figure out why, and napping doesn't seem to help, one should see his doctor or a sleep specialist to rule out any underlying sleep disorders.

By and large, power nap is beneficial. It’s amazing how such short a sleep could recharge a person so well. (FREEMAN)