Why You Should Give Yourself Permission to Nap!

In this hectic world where people are great sleep deprived, its important to give yourself permission to nap. Studies have shown that nappers are not only more healthy, but also seem to perform better on certain tasks requiring motor skills and creativity. If thats not enough to convince you, consider this. A Greek study recently showed that people who took a 30-minute nap at least three times a week had almost a 37% lower risk of dying of heart disease. This could be a powerful motivator for getting some good, old fashioned daytime shut eye!

Napping also seems to reduce stress and make your more efficient overall which is just another reason to give yourself permission to nap on a daily basis. Why are so many people in this country hesitant to do this? It seems like our culture frowns upon the practice of sleeping during the day. Not so in Europe! In fact, the masters of the practice of napping in Europe are the Spaniards. To their credit, the word siesta is Latin for sixth hour which corresponds to a midday nap. Even the Asian continent understands the benefits of napping. The current Japanese government promotes the practice of napping, recommending that people sleep for 20 minutes during the day to give a boost to their workplace productivity. It seems to work as Japan is one of the most productive nations in the world.

How long should a nap be in length in order to be effective? Its probably best to limit your nap to no more than 30 minutes to avoid falling into a deeper state of sleep. When you awaken prematurely from a deeper state of sleep, youre likely to feel groggy and even slightly disoriented. Thirty minutes is long enough to help you feel refreshed without keeping you from sleeping at your normal bedtime. At first it may be difficult to give yourself permission to nap as youll consider all the things you have yet to do. But consider the boost in productivity that 30 minute nap has the potential to give you!

How does a nap decrease your stress levels and make you more productive? Stressful events you experience throughout the day can increase your blood levels of the stress hormone known as cortisol. Daytime napping helps to decrease your cortisol levels, returning your body to a less stressed state.

So next time your job or the world in general has you down, dont fret about it, give yourself permission to nap and youll wake up with renewed vim and vigor!