Studies show that naps are anything but a waste of time—or a sign of laziness. Beyond reducing stress levels during the day, napping can strengthen your immune and cardiovascular systems.
"Napping can be a great tool to enhance alertness and productivity in the afternoon," says Rebecca Robbins, a sleep scientist and instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School.
Napping can even boost short-term memory
and muscle memory. The key is to set your alarm and stick to it; 20 to 25
minutes is an ideal power nap to avoid entering deep sleep and feeling groggy
upon waking—or interfering with night time sleep patterns.
On the occasional day when you are just totally beat, a longer nap is fine for playing catch-up.
"If you're completely sleep-deprived from a long week of
short sleep or a night of partial sleep deprivation, a 90-minute nap is recommended,"
she says.
For
the most benefit, time your nap about halfway between your morning wake-up time
and your bedtime.
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