5 Reasons to Power Nap and 5 Tips to Do It Right (Now!)

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Jennifer Moline is a creative writer for the PsPrint Blog. In this guest post she shares how to to recharge your batteries using power napping.

The thought of a long, hard day at work or looking after the kids again may be hanging in your mind, filling you with dread.

However, there’s no need to lose sleep over it, and even if you do, you can always have a power nap during the day! It’s a common misconception that power napping is bad for you; it is, in fact, very healthy and highly recommended by medical professionals.

A power nap shouldn’t last longer than around half an hour. The aim of a power nap is simply to recharge your batteries and give you that little bit of extra energy that you need to get you through the day.

If you find yourself struggling to stay awake during the day, it may be time to stop all the cleaning, cooking and working, and have a good power nap.

5 Reasons to Have a Power Nap

Relieve stress

Power naps relieve you of stress that you might be experiencing. You could lie on the couch if you are at home, or simply relax in your favourite arm chair to have a sleep. A quick, 20 minute power nap will leave you refreshed, stress-free and ready to face the next few hours.

It’s good for your heart!

Don’t listen to anybody who says power naps are bad for you! Studies have shown that people who take a power nap for 30 minutes each day are at less risk of heart disease by a whopping 37 percent. Further studies have shown that countries where siestas are common have a much lower level of heart disease and heart-related deaths.

Motivates you to exercise

Lack of sleep obviously makes you tired, which then discourages you from doing much. However, lack of exercise actually makes you much more tired. As a result, you may be stuck in a cycle that needs to be broken. A short power nap each day will soon have you motivated again.

Boosts your creativity

Believe it or not, having enough sleep can make you a more creative person. Power naps are very useful if you are creating something or working on a project that requires creativity. Taking a short break and having a snooze will ensure that the finished product shows off your maximum creativity.

Prevents you from becoming too tired

If you’re too tired during the day, you’ve pretty much lost a whole day. A tired body will not allow you to function properly, making it difficult to take in information and socialize properly with others. It can also cause mood swings, which will annoy those around you.

Taking a power nap is very rewarding, but to get the maximum benefits from it, make sure you do it properly.

5 Tips to Power-Nap Right

Do it in the afternoon

If you wake up in the morning to your alarm but feel too tired to get out of bed, don’t be tempted to fall back to sleep and say that you’re "having a power nap". The best time to have a power nap is mid-afternoon, at around 2 to 3pm. This is approximately half way through the day and so it will balance out the time that you spend sleeping.

Not too long; not too short

Don’t take a power nap that lasts two minutes, but don’t sleep for two hours either. The length of time you spend power napping does matter, so make sure that you sleep for around half an hour.

You don’t need the best surroundings

You don’t need to go to your warm, cozy bed to have a power nap. You can do it right where you are; sit at your desk in the office or on the bus. The place that you’re in when you take a power nap doesn’t matter at all. Going back to bed may even make you sleep longer than you should, which will then mess up your sleeping pattern, causing you to be wide awake at night.

Set an alarm!

Make sure that you set an alarm before you fall asleep. If you’re very tired, you will probably sleep and sleep until somebody wakes you up or until you’re not tired anymore. This means that you’ll be having a nap for several hours rather than just half an hour.

Don’t feel guilty about it

Don’t feel like you’re sneaking off to go back to sleep. You’re simply refreshing yourself so that you can work better for the rest of the day. Remember all those health benefits of power napping – you’re actually doing yourself a massive favor that many people either don’t have time for or can’t be bothered with!

Image credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

Jennifer Moline writes for the PsPrint Blog about card printing, graphic design and small-business marketing. She also thinks that movie opening titles should have an Oscar category of their own.