#353 Snoozing Is A-Okay

Zzzzzzz

Ahhh!  Charles Schulz had every bit of it right.  “Learn from yesterday, live for today, look to tomorrow, rest this afternoon.”  by Charles M. Schulz, Charlie Brown's Little Book of Wisdom. Stretchhhh! I'm up after taking a little midday slumber and now can tackle the rest of the day with a brief look at tomorrow followed by a reflection of yesterday.  

Go grab one this afternoon and your vision will be significantly clearer for the remainder of the day.  Trust me on this one.  If I haven't convinced you, read the scientific proof about this phenomenal activity and join the ranks of Albert Einstein along with a few other gold medal nappers.

Napping

Sleep Foundation

More than 85% of mammalian species are polyphasic sleepers, meaning that they sleep for short periods throughout the day. Humans are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers, meaning that our days are divided into two distinct periods, one for sleep and one for wakefulness. It is not clear that this is the natural sleep pattern of humans. Young children and elderly persons nap, for example, and napping is a very important aspect of many cultures. 

As a nation, the United States appears to be becoming more and more sleep deprived. And it may be our busy lifestyle that keeps us from napping. While naps do not necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime sleep, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance. Nappers are in good company: Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and George W. Bush are known to have valued an afternoon nap. 

TYPES:

Naps can be typed in three different ways: 

• Planned napping (also called preparatory napping) involves taking a nap before you actually get sleepy. You may use this technique when you know that you will be up later than your normal bed time or as a mechanism to ward off getting tired earlier. 
• Emergency napping occurs when you are suddenly very tired and cannot continue with the activity you were originally engaged in. This type of nap can be used to combat drowsy driving or fatigue while using heavy and dangerous machinery. 
• Habitual napping is practiced when a person takes a nap at the same time each day. Young children may fall asleep at about the same time each afternoon or an adult might take a short nap after lunch each day. 

TIPS:

• A short nap is usually recommended (20-30 minutes) for short-term alertness. This type of nap provides significant benefit for improved alertness and performance without leaving you feeling groggy or interfering with nighttime sleep. 
• Your  sleep environment can greatly impact your ability to fall asleep. Make sure that you have a restful place to lie down and that 
  • a lack of ambition, and low standards. 
  • Napping is only for children, the sick and the elderly. 

  Though the above statements are false, many segments of the public may still need to be educated on the benefits of napping. 

  A recent study in the research journal  Sleep examined the benefits of naps of various lengths and no naps. The results showed that a 10-minute nap produced the most benefit in terms of reduced sleepiness and improved cognitive performance. A nap lasting 30 minutes or longer is more likely to be accompanied by sleep inertia, which is the period of grogginess that sometimes follows sleep. 

  By now you're probably thinking about ways to incorporate naps into your daily routine. Keep in mind that getting enough sleep on regular basis is the best way to stay alert and feel your best. But when fatigue sets in, a quick nap can do wonders for your mental and physical stamina.
  
  If you are still up, thanks for reading # 353 of 7777.