Addictions 

Is sleep at lunchtime good for you? Why people over forty cannot sleep during the day. Ways to Beat Noon Sleepiness

Daytime sleep helps the brain to "reboot", look at the problem from the other side and make the right decision.

Sleeping during the day is useful and necessary, and this fact is recognized by sleep experts. Daytime sleep has a beneficial effect on the state of the cardiovascular system. If you sleep for 45 - 60 minutes after a severe stressful situation, then the jumped up falls and returns to normal. The body is restored, and the person is ready to work again.

Many successful people believe they need to take a pokemon in the afternoon after a busy morning:

Winston Churchill first coined the term "restorative sleep", claiming that an afternoon nap helped restore the clarity of thought necessary for decision-making in wartime. He argued that he needed to get some sleep between lunch and dinner.

Margaret Thatcher she strictly forbade the assistants to disturb her between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm, because she was resting during that time.

Bill clinton also asked not to disturb him at 3 pm.

Leonardo da Vinci I slept several times a day, so I worked at night.

Napoleon Bonaparte I didn’t deny myself a nap.

Though, Thomas Edison was not happy with his habit of sleeping during the day, he performed this ritual daily.

Eleanor Roosevelt President Franklin Roosevelt's wife regained her energy with a nap before important speeches.

The president John F. Kennedy dined in bed daily and then slept sweetly.

Other famous day naps are Albert Einstein, Johannes Brahms.

How does a daytime sleep affect the state of the body?

Sleeping during the day restores vigor. It is recommended to sleep for only 20-30 minutes to restore performance and attention. Such short-term sleep will not cause poor sleep at night.

Sleep during the day prevents burnout. In the modern world, people run, run without stopping, strive to achieve their goals. And in this running without a break, a person is subject to stress, exhaustion of physical and mental strength, and disappointment. Daytime sleep restores the body, reduces stress, makes it possible to rethink the situation.

Sleep enhances sensory perception. Daytime sleep enhances the acuity of the senses (vision, hearing, taste). After sleep, creativity increases, because the brain relaxes and new ideas arise.

Sleeping during the day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease. Those who sleep at least 3 times a week during the day reduce the risk of heart disease by 40%. Scientists claim that naps are a powerful weapon against .

Sleeping during the day improves productivity. Many medical studies have found that workers become unproductive in the afternoon. And just 30 minutes of nap a day is enough to restore workers' productivity and return productivity to the same level as at the beginning of the day.

Daytime sleep in the workplace

For most of us, rest after dinner, and even in bed, is absolutely inaccessible. A lot of companies are changing their attitude towards daytime rest of employees and are becoming more loyal. The easiest way to find a quiet place to sleep during the day is for those who travel by car. You can retire in the car, set the seat in a comfortable position, and sleep. Also, it is good for those who have a separate office with a comfortable armchair. And best of all for freelancers who work from home, so they can go to bed and take a proper nap.

Sleep regularly. Try to set aside time for naps every day. This will allow you to establish daily biorhythms and increase productivity.

Sleep briefly. If you sleep long and soundly, then there is a state of intoxication, a feeling of disorientation. It is recommended to sleep for 20-30 minutes. Set an alarm on your phone to avoid oversleeping. Also, long naps can affect the quality of your night's sleep.

Without light. Light acts on the human body as a signal for action. The body's natural reaction to darkness is to “close” or “go to standby”. If you can't turn off the light, you can use a sleep bandage.

Plaid. During sleep, the metabolism slows down, the breathing rate becomes slower, and the body temperature drops slightly. Therefore, it is better to use a light blanket or blanket while sleeping to feel more comfortable.

Be careful. Of course, a sleeping colleague on a desk can cause laughter and banter, especially if he is wearing pillow-ostrich(in which you can sleep anywhere). But this is not fatal, and healthy laughter has a beneficial effect on the body. If you are embarrassed to sleep under the general attention, then you can use the pantry, meeting room, but best of all, your own car.

Contraindications for daytime sleep

In some cases, daytime sleep is absolutely useless, and sometimes it can even harm.

People with insomnia, it is better not to sleep during the day, because at night they may not fall asleep at all.

It is also best to avoid daytime sleep for those who are depressed because the condition may get worse.

In order not to disrupt the body's biorhythms, which is absolutely not useful, you can sleep no more than 90 minutes during the day.

And it's important to change your attitude towards people who like to take a nap during the day. Because they are by no means lazy. Rather, on the contrary, they are one of the smartest and most productive people.

Daytime sleep is an integral part of every baby's life, even an hour of rest helps the brain to relax, restore physical strength and settle the emotional background. But closer to 5-7 years, most children begin to lead a more adult lifestyle, sleep at night, and stay awake during the day. Many adults are of the opinion that an afternoon nap is quite harmful, as it can cause the body clock to malfunction. Nevertheless, experts argue that this point of view is completely wrong, since short-term naps help the body to recover and have time to do more things during the working day. What are the benefits and harms of resting during the day, and when is the best time to sleep?

Is it possible for adults to sleep during the day, and is a daytime sleep good for the body? All leading scientists answer this question in the affirmative. Statistics show that people who practice lunchtime sleep tend to be healthier and often live to a very old age.

The value of sleep in the daytime also lies in the following effect on the body:

Midday sleep will be more effective if you allow yourself at least 3 times a week. Such rest will increase the production of endorphins, will have a good effect on the work of metabolic systems and will interfere with the production of cortisol.

Doctors warn that the benefits of daytime sleep will only be if the sleeping people follow certain recommendations. It must be remembered that the day's rest should be short-term and take place at a certain time.

“I can’t sleep during the day and sleep only after midnight” - many men and women of different ages today complain about such a violation. Doctors assure that if you cannot fall asleep during the day, you should refuse such a rest, since the nervous system does not need it.

Contraindications

Surprisingly, but in some cases, sleeping during the day can bring not only benefit, but also harm, so sometimes it is much wiser to refuse such a rest. Who should not sleep during the day and why?

  • sleeping during the day is harmful to people who periodically suffer from insomnia. In this case, there is a possibility that the person will not fall asleep at all;
  • if you often have a nightmare at night (this indicates psychological problems);
  • such a rest is not recommended for persons suffering from biorhythm fluctuations;
  • daytime sleep should not exceed 1.5 hours.

If a person does not suffer from any diseases and disorders, you can safely sleep during the day, since such a rest will only benefit.

Scientists have long answered the question of whether it is good to sleep during the day.

But in order for such a rest to only have a positive effect on human health, the following recommendations must be followed:


After a day's sleep, many find it hard to cheer up, a person can suffer not only from "lethargy", but also from muscle fatigue. The best way to avoid this is to do some simple exercise.

Numerous studies have long confirmed how a daytime sleep affects a person, what benefits or harms it does to the body. Experts (and the creators of the most popular dream books) assure that a short rest during the working day is guaranteed not to harm your health, and at the same time will help you stay active and vigorous until the evening.

Those who have the opportunity to sleep during the day are incredibly lucky. This is not only pleasant, but also very healthy. If you have the opportunity to rest during the day, but do not like to do it, try to introduce rest into your daily routine, or better - sleep in the afternoon. It has been noticed that even a not very long sleep in the afternoon is very beneficial - especially for those who get up early. If you don't believe this, let's take a look at it in detail.

According to scientists

For many years, scientists from around the world have conducted research on volunteers who slept at different times after lunch. Their vital signs, performance and brain function were studied after sleep.

It is proved that even 20 minutes of sleep in the daytime gives a charge of strength and energy, gives vigor and helps not to overwork. This short rest gives the brain new ideas and solutions to problems. In addition, if the brain is working, it does not need rest, the body asks for rest. It is imperative that in the middle of the day, especially if your work is physically intense or emotionally challenging, you can rest, and ideally sleep.

So what is the power of daytime sleep?

Relieves stress

In a study of people who are not averse to sleep during the day, it was proved that their blood levels of stress hormones are significantly reduced compared to the rest. These people sleep during the day to protect themselves from emotional overload, they feel rested and can focus on business.

Even if you work in an office, make it a rule to nap for half an hour during your lunch break - especially if you have an important report to write. Put your head on the table, lie down on the shifted chairs or sofa. A nap of the day will give you a boost of energy and relieve stress.

Increases focus and work efficiency

If you have to get up early in the morning and you do not sleep enough, or today you did not sleep well, you should not go to bed again and try to get enough sleep, put your dream for lunch. Much more an afternoon nap of 20 minutes is useful, than getting some sleep in the morning after the alarm went off.

Don't be scared sleepiness and lethargy after such a short nap. In five to ten minutes you notice the improvement in mood, work capacity and attention - these will last for the rest of the day.

Improves memory

Daytime sleep is very useful for schoolchildren and students, those who study and receive new information. In the course of the conducted global research among students of one of the colleges in America, very impressive results were obtained.

Helpful: afternoon nap

The students took four tests in a row in a day. The first two were before lunch and sleep, both groups passed them equally well. The break took place in different conditions: one group only had lunch, the second group slept after eating - part 20 minutes, part - 1 hour. The people who did not sleep in the afternoon were inaccurate and their response rate was slow.

Those who slept for twenty minutes passed the tests successfully, without losing speed and accuracy. Those lucky ones who were given an hour to sleep showed brilliant results. All this happens because during sleep, the brain manages to process and "sort through" all the information, while the body rests and gains strength at this time.

Strengthens the heart

It has been noticed that in those countries where the siesta ritual (sleeping after dinner) is adopted due to the climate, the level of heart disease is much lower than in countries where people do not sleep during the day. A survey of those who can afford to sleep in the afternoon and a survey of their health showed that they have an almost 40% lower risk of dying from a heart attack. That's why, if you want to have a strong heart and healthy blood vessels - sleep for about an hour during the day.

Other benefits of an afternoon nap

Increases IQ

Americans are very fond of research related to the level of intelligence, and they have found out the patterns of influence of sleep on the level of IQ. People who slept between 15 and 35 minutes in the afternoon got higher marks. They overtook the rate of people who did not have the opportunity to sleep by 40%. If the subjects slept for more than 45 minutes, their intelligence level was equal to the level of those who did not sleep.

That is, the neurons must rest, but you do not need to let them relax completely, then it will be difficult for them to re-enter the rhythm.

Helps workout

If you are active went in for sports or fitness, daytime sleep is essential for you. If you sleep 7-8 hours at night, and you have the opportunity to sleep for about half an hour during the day, you will not feel tired in the evening. After a day's sleep, you will have the strength for a good workout or sports, you will have a full-fledged exercise and not get too tired.

Everyone loves to get some sleep. Both toddlers in kindergarten and adults often nap during the day. This article will show you the health benefits of sleeping in the afternoon.

Recent studies by doctors have shown that our brain is responsible for the amount of rest. It is he who determines the time of sleep. When it is working at full capacity, you do not want to sleep. But all the same, our body needs periodic rest. If we take a short break, turn off the brain for 20 minutes, let it sleep, then later we will work more productively, because the body will receive additional energy.

When fully immersed, your creative ideas are fueled. Usually, people who practice short naps do not need constant coffee breaks. Moreover, the supply of energy will allow you to feel vigorous and full of energy not only during the working day, but also at the end. You will not fall asleep when meeting with friends, you will stop spending your evenings watching TV, lying exhausted on the couch.

Our tips will help you better understand your body, let you understand what the benefits of a short sleep are.

1. VOLTAGE RELIEF

Sleeping on a comfortable and soft sofa, or taking a nap with your head on a pile of papers, will help you feel physically relaxed. Studies have shown that sleep hormone levels in people decrease when people sleep during the day. For relaxation, you should choose a quiet place. So you can reduce the load on the brain, and then start working with fresh energy. You will become more collected and focused. A short rest time will be sufficient; it is not necessary to spend several hours on a nap.

2. INCREASING THE CONCENTRATION OF ATTENTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF WORK

Research shows that 20 minutes of sleep during or after a workday will be more beneficial than an extra 20 minutes of sleep in the morning. But a short nap will take a few more minutes to concentrate. At first you will be a little distracted, but after a while it will pass. You will be able to return to work with a new charge of cheerfulness. This energy will be enough for the whole day. Sometimes a crunch is caught by surprise, you have to work all night. This negatively affects performance. Try to take a break after a sleepless night. Then you will be filled with energy, concentration of attention will increase.

3. POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON MEMORY AND LEARNING

Anyone can experience the positive effects of naps. It can be both elderly people and young energetic students. The latter are especially advised to sleep for a few minutes after lunch. After all, this is how you can increase your ability to learn and assimilate information.

To prove the positive effect of sleep, the following experiment was carried out. Students were given special tests with images. The images were different, but not significantly. According to the test conditions, it was necessary to detect these differences. The tests were carried out on the same day.

The first test was excellent. The second test did not differ from the first in terms of time and accuracy of work. After the second test, some students took a short break and slept. Others continued to work. Those students who took the test without interruption showed a decrease in results and accuracy. Students who were interrupted for 20 minutes of sleep performed as well as in the first two tests. And a group of people who slept for an hour even improved their morning results. This study clearly demonstrates why naps are beneficial. It protects the brain from overwork and excessive stress.

4. ENHANCING Cognitive Abilities

This fact has been proven by scientists from NASA. Research has shown that sleeping for half an hour during the day can improve cognitive function by 40%.

The study involved 1000 volunteers. As a result, it became clear that those subjects who slept during the day passed the IQ test better. And those working without interruption showed a significant decrease in test results, as well as their memory deteriorated and efficiency.

The study was carried out by NASA specialists and students of the Berkeley Biological Faculty. Scientists have found that short naps are the most effective. Daytime sleep is beneficial if it lasts less than 45 minutes. Otherwise, you will not get the desired result. It is best to sleep 15 or 35 minutes. During this period, the neurons of the brain will be able to recover, and the body will receive an additional surge of vigor and strength.

If you sleep well at night and take some time to rest during the day, your body will be ready to exercise. Usually teenagers do not exercise due to fatigue. 28% of adolescents cite fatigue. This is due to lack of rest. Get some sleep and you can set your own records. You can improve your physical fitness without fatigue and fatigue.

6. INCREASING CREATIVE CAPACITY

The beneficial effect on health is priceless, but short-term sleep also has a positive effect on the creative component. It enhances the imagination. This is useful not only for creative people, but also useful in everyday life. You can find the right solution for any situation, get out of the problem. Sleep also stimulates the emergence of new ideas. Often we get stuck in our work, we can't budge. Then you definitely need a little rest. This will help you relax and take your mind off work. And then you can look at the problem with a fresh eye. This has a positive effect on the way we do business. You devote very little time to yourself and your rest, but your work in general benefits.

7. HELP FOR SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

Nobody feels good if they slept badly at night. Distracted attention and drowsiness are symptoms of serious problems with the body that night sleep deprivation brings. One of the main dangers is metabolic disorders. Scientists from the University of Chicago have provided evidence for this. They conducted a study on 11 young men who were asked to cut their sleep to 4 hours a night. The experiment was carried out for 6 nights. As a result, serious disorders of the body were noticed - it began to absorb carbohydrates worse, problems appeared on the hormonal background. The state of the body without sleep was similar to the state of patients with diabetes mellitus.

To reduce the harmful effects of sleep deprivation, you can regularly practice naps. If you don't get enough sleep at night for some reason, resting during the day will help you recover. Scientists have not yet figured out how it works. It is believed that sleep time can be accumulated. This question came up after a unique test. One group of people slept the required number of hours at night, and the second slept less at night, but had some rest during the day. Both groups of people showed the same results in studies.

8. FIGHT AGAINST SLEEPiness

Also, a short nap is useful as a preventive measure. Many people have to get up quite early and often feel sleepy because of this. Representatives of some professions are forced to long time spend awake, for example, shift workers or pilots. Students often do not sleep for a long time. An adult's nap is an ideal way to combat sleepiness. Taking a few hours to sleep in the afternoon after a sleepless night can help you recover easily.

9. HEALTH IMPROVEMENT

Resting after lunch can help reduce the likelihood of heart disease. This is especially true for young people who do not yet have serious health problems. This fact was confirmed by a study conducted in Greece. In this country there is a tradition of an afternoon siesta - rest or sleep in hot weather. More than 23 thousand people took part in the study. Their distinctive feature is the absence of a genetic predisposition to serious diseases - cancer, stroke or coronary heart disease. Tests of this group showed that the risk of getting diseases of the cardiovascular system is lower by 37% in those who slept for half an hour during the siesta. Therefore, lunchtime sleep can have a positive effect on your condition in the future. This is also supported by general medical research. Heart disease is less common among residents of those countries where it is customary to take a siesta vacation.

There are doctors who study the peculiarities of sleep. One such specialist is Dr. Sarah Mednik. The results of her research showed that short breaks for sleep benefit hormones and stimulate the regeneration of cells in the body. Sara Mednik even wrote the book Take a Nap! Change Your Life. In it, she gives some tips for naps. According to her, any person can sleep, the main thing is to create the necessary conditions.

Daytime sleep duration

There are several categories of sleep, each lasting a specific amount of time.

  • Nano-sleep: 10 to 20 seconds.

We can see such a dream in transport. You can disconnect for a couple of seconds on the subway or train, and then immediately wake up from the jolt. The positive effects of nano-sleep are not yet fully understood.

  • Micro-sleep: 2 to 5 minutes.

A positive effect is getting rid of drowsiness.

  • Mini naps: 5 to 20 minutes.

A person increases alertness and concentration, is capable of physical activity, and becomes more active.

Like the two previous categories, real sleep helps to improve attention, fight drowsiness, and stimulate activity. Also, this resting time has a positive effect on muscle and long-term memory. The brain throws out information that it does not need, but leaves important information.

  • Lazy person's sleep: 50 to 90 minutes.

This time helps to improve perceptual activity, strengthens and regenerates bones and muscles.

You shouldn't think that people are resting during the day just because they are lazy and don't want to work. There are many examples of business people who can be called sleepyheads. However, they have achieved some success. For example, Leonardo da Vinci, Bill Clinton or Thomas Edison took a nap after lunch. This allowed them to achieve significant results. If you want to increase your productivity, you can just sleep - the result will not keep you waiting. Just try it and you will be amazed at the opportunities and energy that will last for the whole day.

How to sleep well and quickly during the day

While naps at work are beneficial, learning how to fall asleep is essential. After all, you need to sleep for a short period of time, and not a full cycle. This is called polyphasic sleep, a phenomenon common to some animals, cats, for example. The tips below will help you sleep for about 20 minutes. If you learn to sleep with polyphasic, you can easily sleep for a short time.

Short sleep rules

Immersion

How to wake up

  • After waking up, you must immediately get up. You can put the alarm clock at a distance, then you will need to get up to turn it off.
  • You can not bask in bed, set the alarm for another 5 minutes ahead. You can oversleep. If you are cold, there are some warming exercises you can do.
  • After you get up, it's best to eat a little. It is advisable that the food does not contain a lot of carbohydrates. You can have a snack with nuts, such as almonds. Chewing gum sometimes helps.
  • You need to train your body so that it can wake up as quickly as fall asleep. Then you will not make an effort to wake up - it will become a habit. However, the technique will not work the first time, practice and training are also needed here.
  • The body wakes up better with physical activity in the fresh air. You can take a little walk, then you will feel more cheerful.

Houses

Outside home

  • Before bed, you need to choose where you are going to take a nap. If you look for a place for a long time, then you will fall asleep worse due to stress.
  • You should always have a spare set of items for falling asleep. You should have earplugs, an alarm clock, music, a mask and everything else you need for a good nap.
  • Sleeping outside the home will be different from that used at home. However, there shouldn't be any big differences. The methods may differ for different people, the main thing is that the actions are as similar as possible to those at home.
  • Not all people understand how great the benefits of naps are, so they may judge or make fun of you. However, this should not hurt or offend you. Not everyone will understand all the features of sleep during the day, but you can not discuss it with them. And especially curious to say that they just did not get enough sleep at night. This will stop unnecessary questions.

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Carrie P. Snow

Both students and kindergarten kids love to doze. In this article, we will try to prove that a short nap at lunchtime can be beneficial for your health.

Scientists recently discovered that the human body requires as much rest as the brain allows. In other words, since the brain is working at full strength, there is no need for sleep. Most importantly, we need rest from time to time. We can recuperate and continue working "with a full tank" with just a short, twenty-minute nap.

For people who are truly passionate about their work, these short twenty minute breaks will give a burst of energy and new ideas. Typically, these people do not need coffee during the day. In addition, they are provided with a reserve of energy, so the working day does not end with an instant fall asleep on the couch in front of the TV or at a friendly party.

Here's everything you need to know about the benefits of sleep and how naps can help you:

1. The tension is relieved

Taking a nap curled up on a speck of sunshine, on the floor, or with your head on a table is relaxing. Studies have shown that those who sleep during the day have lower levels of stress hormones. Take a break from exertion and reduce risks every day, find a quiet, comfortable place and rest. Even after a short nap, you will be able to regain your strength and feel refreshed and focused.

2. Increased alertness and productivity

If you have the opportunity to take a break after a sleepless night, be sure to use it. After rest, you will feel more collected and energized. Mood, ability to work and attentiveness will improve. Scientists have even shown that a twenty minute break after eight hours of wakefulness will give you more strength than the same 20 minutes of sleep in the morning. Of course, immediately after waking up, you will feel a slight lethargy for about ten minutes, but when you return to cheerfulness, you will be rested and full of energy for the rest of the day.

3.Improves memory and learning

Naps are not only beneficial for very young, old, and sluggish people. Daytime nap can improve learning ability.

Here is the result of a new study that required college students to detect subtle changes in images in four different testing sessions in one day.

During the first session, the participants performed better on the tasks. During the second session, the speed and accuracy of the students' work remained at the same level. Participants who did not rest during the day decreased their scores over the past two sessions. The performance of volunteers who took a twenty-minute break after the end of the second session did not decrease. Moreover, those who took hourly sleep breaks responded faster and more accurately in the third and fourth sessions. It turns out that lunchtime sleep can protect our brain from overexertion until the neurons process the incoming information.

4.Good for the heart

A short afternoon nap, especially for young people, can reduce the likelihood of dying from heart disease, especially in young, healthy people. Were interviewed 23,681 people living in Greece, who had no family history of coronary heart disease, stroke or cancer. It found that those who followed the thirty-minute siesta at least three times a week had a 37% lower risk of heart disease. The researchers took into account the poor health, age, and physical activity of people. So, make up your mind - a short lunch nap in the future can prevent a heart attack. Countries that have siesta are known to have lower rates of heart disease.

5) cognitive abilities are enhanced

In recent research, NASA scientists have shown that 30 minutes of sleep increases cognitive function by almost 40%!

Tests of thousands of volunteers proved that those who continued to work without rest scored lower on intelligence tests (IQ tests). More importantly, their memory and performance declined compared to those who took naps.

Together with NASA research, Berkeley Biology students established that the most effective sleep should be short. If you sleep for more than forty-five minutes, the result will be minimal. Therefore, for an afternoon rest, it is optimal to allocate fifteen or thirty-five minutes. This time is enough for the body to rest and give the brain's neurons the opportunity to recover.

6.Stimulates physical exercise

A good night and lunch sleep stimulates exercise. About 28% of teens say they are too tired to exercise. You are adults. Don't give up jogging because you're tired. When your body is fully resting, you can run longer, faster, more efficiently. It's simple (free!) And useful.

7) creativity is increased

Rest and relaxation are essential for more than just your health - they can help you become more creative. Generally, after a good night's sleep, people have better imaginations. Experts confirm that taking a nap or changing activities refreshes the mind and helps you make better decisions later. Sleep Naps enable the brain to create the free associations it needs to creatively solve a problem and open up new ideas. So, if you feel stuck, you may need to take a break. After you're distracted, return to solving the problem. The main thing is that you will not feel guilty, because by taking a little time for yourself, in the end, you help the business.

8. Compensates for sleepless nights

According to the latest research, a poor night's sleep is bad for both the body and the brain. Lack of sleep disrupts the body's metabolism. Scientists at the University of Chicago studied physiological changes in eleven guys who slept four hours a day for six nights in a row. They found that sleep deprivation causes conditions similar to diabetes, hormonal disruption and affects the body's ability to absorb carbohydrates.

According to some studies, lunchtime sleep is beneficial for those who like to sleep but do not get enough sleep at night. Researchers do not yet understand the mechanism of action, but it seems that sleep time has the ability to accumulate.

They compared the attentiveness of people who slept eight hours a night with those who slept less but rested at lunchtime. Both groups were the same.

9. Prevents drowsiness

Also, scientists have identified the benefits of "preventative" sleep for people who have to get up early. It can prevent drowsiness. If you have to stay up all night, two or four hours of sleep will give you strength the next day. Similar results were obtained from studies conducted by NASA. Sleep breaks are beneficial for some people, including shift workers, students, and those on long haul flights (such as pilots on intercontinental flights).

10. Improves health

Dr. Sara Mednik (specialist in the study of the characteristics of sleep) claims that short sleep improves heart function, hormonal balance, and cell repair. The half-hour nap, says Mednik, simply amplifies the effect by helping the sleeper fall into restorative sleep and wake up as quickly as possible.

Everyone has the opportunity to take a nap, no matter how tense you are. It is only necessary to create suitable conditions. Here are some recommendations from Dr. Sarah Mednik, author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life.

How to sleep well

  • The first condition is psychological: understand, this is not laziness; having a rest you will be more attentive and more efficient.
  • Try to get some sleep in the morning or immediately after lunch; a person's circadian rhythms are tuned in such a way that in the evening you are more likely to fall asleep in deep (slow-wave) sleep, after which you will feel lethargic.
  • Avoid excessive consumption of caffeine, as well as foods high in sugar and fat, which can interfere with a person's ability to fall asleep.
  • Instead, an hour or two before bedtime, eat a diet high in calcium and protein, which can help you fall asleep.
  • Find a quiet place where others will not disturb you.
  • Try to darken the resting area, or use a blindfold. Darkness promotes the production of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
  • Remember that your body temperature drops while you sleep. Raise the temperature in the room or cover yourself with a blanket.
  • When you are relaxed and in a comfortable sleeping position, set the alarm for a specific time (see below).

How long should a good lunchtime sleep last?

  • Nano-sleep: 10 - 20 seconds.

Scientists have not yet come to the conclusion whether there is any benefit from such a short sleep, for example, on someone's shoulder on a train.

  • Micro-sleep: 2 - 5 minutes.

Surprisingly effective in combating drowsiness.

  • Mini-sleep: 5 - 20 minutes.

Mindfulness, endurance, motor skills acquisition, and physical activity are enhanced.

  • Real lunchtime sleep: 20 minutes.

Combines the benefits of micro- and mini-sleep, and also improves muscle memory and frees the brain of useless accumulated information, improving long-term memory (remembering facts, events and names).

  • Lazy person's sleep: 50 - 90 minutes.

Combines stages of REM and NREM sleep; it is useful for improving perceptual activity, as well as with an excess of growth hormone (growth hormone), which is responsible for the restoration of bones and muscles.

Contrary to popular belief, sleep is not for lazy or weak people. Famous sleepyheads include Bill Clinton, Lance Armstrong, Leonardo da Vinci, and Thomas Edison. Moral of the article: To be super productive, just take a break. You took a nap - you won. Try it and the results will surprise you!