The cult of productivity that influences our lifestyles today can make rest and leisure feel like a reward rather than a necessity. Many of us are plagued with guilt when we take time to unwind. One such guilt-ridden activity is the infamous nap.
During the pandemic, when most of us have had to work remotely and have occasionally closed our eyes during work hours, naps have become a source of serious debate. This is a luxury most of us have never known before.
While many believe in the sense of refreshment they feel after taking a short nap during the day, others avoid naps as one of the many unhealthy reasons behind irregular and ill-timed sleep cycles. 2017 study was announced in sleeping pills We sought to put an end to this debate by investigating what the authors called the ‘napping paradox’.
According to the authors, naps have both positive and negative effects on a person’s well-being and physical health. So how can you take a nap without feeling guilty or worried about your health?
Let’s start with an overview of its benefits.
The Subtle Neurological Magic of Napping
Extensive research has been done on incorporating sleep and naps into your daily schedule. A large part of it has the effect of encouraging naps, especially for people who are restricted to strict sleep schedules that prevent them from getting a full rest (such as young people and working parents).
According to a 2017 review, here are some positives associated with 30-60 minute naps:
- A nap reverses the cognitive impairment caused by sleep deprivation. Usually, the longer you stay awake, the more sleepy you become. At the same time, cognitive and memory-recording abilities also decline. Studies show that a nap can help restore both, giving your productivity and energy levels a second wind.
- A nap facilitates subsequent learning. Lack of sleep leads to decreased encoding (or learning) compared to the next day after a full night’s rest. This is because sleep maintains the strong neural connections that were formed during the day and removes the weak ones, creating more space for new learning the next day. Without enough rest, the brain is not ready for new learning.
- A nap promotes emotional processing. Children have been shown to exhibit better emotion regulation skills when faced with challenging stimuli (such as puzzles) compared to non-napping days. Another study reported that adolescents who did not nap attributed more negative emotions to their faces compared to cohorts who did nap during face-viewing sessions.
These research results show that naps have decisive potential not only for improving lifestyle and performance, but also for avoiding adverse health effects such as burnout and age-related cognitive decline.
So why do naps still get such bad reviews?
Why a nap can be a sign of trouble
According to previous research reviewed by this study, there are two key factors that may determine whether your nap habit is hurting you or helping you grow.
- nap frequency
- Year
there is overwhelming research Frequent daytime naps are associated with many ailments such as hypertension, microvascular disease, and diabetes, to name a few.a study was announced in Frontiers of psychology They also identified daytime naps as a potential indicator of depression, best known by the phrase “depressive naps.”
However, it’s unclear if napping is making people’s health worse, or if it’s simply a byproduct of another condition.
Conclusion
Don’t feel guilty or unproductive about napping during the day. Instead, you’re giving your brain and body a short break to recharge and get back to 100%. However, keeping track of how often you nap and how you feel during your nap can provide important insight into your physical and mental health and help you identify underlying problems before they escalate into full-blown emergencies.
