Proactive power napping for better results
Ever find yourself fighting off those midafternoon yawns and droopy eyelids?
Don’t blame yourself for having a big lunch or a lack of willpower.
Sleepiness is actually caused by our natural sleep-wake rhythm controlled by our internal body clock.
Activley taking a power nap during the day makes perfect physiological sense.
But what is it about power naps that actually helps us recover?
The secret lies in the deep non-REM sleep that comes at the onset of sleep.
In non-REM sleep, we reach Stage 2, a light sleep level, about 20 minutes after first falling asleep.
It’s durring stage 2 sleep that the accumulated cache memory is cleared from our brains.
Brain fatigue is washed away resulting in a positive effect on the body.
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What is a POWERNAP?
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The term “power nap” was coined by social psychologist James Maas by combining the words “nap” and “power up”. In Japan, it is called an “active nap”.
It has been proven scientifically effective by NASA and is actively recommended by leading companies around the world as a habit that directly leads to improved work performance.
Merits
The Benefits of a Power Nap
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Reduce brain fatigue
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Reduce drowsiness
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Improve memory and learning ability
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Recover focus
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Improve ingenuity and creativity
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Improve work efficiency
Napping is said to be three times more effective than sleeping at night.
According to a NASA study, pilots who took a 26-minute nap reported a 34% improvement in performance and attention span and a 16% improvement in reaction time.
Napping has been shown to have a variety of benefits, including fatigue relief, stress reduction, as well as improved concentration, memory, cognition, ingenuity, creativity, and mood boosting effects.