What’s the Deal with Napping? Yay or Nay?
It’s a rainy day here on Long Island, and even though I got over nine hours of sleep last night, I was TIRED today!
I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten older that sleep is not a luxury — It’s a necessity!
If I don’t get a consistent amount of quality sleep, I’m a walking disaster for several days to come. Just because I slept well last night doesn’t undue previous nights without the same quality sleep. The only way to fix it is to continue to get the same quality sleep that I did last night, so that’s definitely the game plan for the rest of the week :-)
Today though? I needed a nap, so I took one, which brings me to today’s topic: What’s the deal with naps? Are they helpful for boosting energy? What about their benefits (or non-benefits) for health or for weight loss?
Let’s dissect those questions…
Naps CAN be very helpful for recharging your batteries, both in terms of your energy levels, as well as your alertness and your cognition. If you’re exhausted and are suffering from brain fog, a solid nap can work wonders.
The reason naps work well for some and don’t work well for others is because of the duration of the nap. There are two types of naps that work well…
The two durations are:
1) < 20 Minutes, aka The Power Nap. Studies have shown that these types of naps can help you to recharge your batteries, boost your alertness and get rid of that brain fog. Nap longer for 30–60 minutes, and you can suffer from a ‘sleep hangover,’ which will probably make you feel WORSE than you did when going into the nap.
2) 90 Minutes, aka The Long Nap. This isn’t less than or equal to, like a Power Nap is, but is EXACTLY 90 minutes. This is equivalent to one REM, or Rapid Eye Movement, cycle, which can help boost the same properties that a power nap does. In addition, a Long Nap can result in improved memory and creativity.
In terms of health and weight loss, how do naps help (or not help)?
If you’re struggling through your day, and are planning to work out in the evening, being exhausted isn’t going to make your workout likely to get done. If you get a solid nap in, and your mental and physical energy increases as a result, you’ll be much more likely to get that workout in.
The same goes for making healthy food choices: When you’re tired, you get hungry, and as a result, you may often turn to the ‘easiest’ or most ‘convenient’ option due to lack of energy or lack of motivation in preparing something healthy. Taking a solid nap can help you avoid those poor food choices, and can give you the energy and creativity to come up with a healthy snack or meal option instead.
I must say — I took a 20 minute power nap this afternoon, and BAM! I’m back and ready to go :-)
Chat tomorrow!
Sincerely,
Coach Pete
pete@weightlossbypete.com
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Later!
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