Is nap good for retirees? Good for the heart. How to sleep well

21.05.2019

One of the advantages of daytime sleep is the relaxation of the body: when a person sleeps during the daytime, he relaxes and relieves the accumulated fatigue. It has been proven that the working capacity of a person who sleeps during the day is the most effective and fruitful. Clinical trials have shown that people who get enough sleep during the day feel much better in the evening: their mood improves, they feel a surge of vitality.

Another plus of daytime sleep is an improvement in a person's memory: his reaction to external stimuli becomes faster, and the risk of making a mistake in this or that matter is minimized. Experts from the Institute of Dreams have proved that an afternoon rest significantly improves the physical characteristics of the body: a person has an increase in endurance and an increase in strength indicators.

Some scientists believe that an afternoon nap has a positive effect on a person's imagination, increasing their creativity. Moreover, various clinical studies have shown that sleeping during the day has a positive effect on the human cardiovascular system: people who regularly rest during the day are less likely to be at risk of heart-related diseases.

Daytime sleep. Harm

Not all people benefit from naps. While some, during the day, feel great in the evening and fall asleep calmly at night, others begin to experience discomfort. In such people, the biological clocks of sleep and wakefulness fail: it becomes difficult for them to fall asleep at night, which is why they are forced to sleep during the day. As a result, they develop insomnia. Moreover, daytime sleep can disrupt the work of not only a person's biological clock, but also his biological rhythms, which leads to disruption of the work of internal organs.

Experts note that often after a day's sleep, a person has headaches. This usually happens after a fairly long rest. In some cases, daytime sleep does not cause vigor and a surge of vitality, but lethargy and general fatigue of the body. Such rest is categorically contraindicated for people suffering from surges in blood pressure and diabetics.

It is worth noting that daytime sleep, as well as its harm, are purely individual and conditional concepts. While some people need a day's rest to improve their efficiency and improve their mood, for others it is only harmful, suppressing any desire for work, causing headaches and general body fatigue.

Daytime sleep helps the brain to "reboot", to 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 strong stressful situation, then the jumped up falls and comes back to normal. The body is restored, and the person is ready to work again.

Many successful people believe that 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 14.30 and 15.30, because she was resting during this.

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 run 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 during the afternoons. And just 30 minutes of nap a day is enough to restore worker productivity and return productivity to the level it was 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. Many 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 get into 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.

Do not sleep long. If you sleep long and soundly, then a state of intoxication, a feeling of disorientation appears. 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 prone to depression 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 not lazy at all. Rather, on the contrary, they are one of the smartest and most productive people.

The habit of taking a nap for an hour after lunch is not uncommon. Undoubtedly, sleep helps to renew strength, improve mood, increase attention and efficiency. However, the answer to the question about the usefulness of naps is not as straightforward as it might seem at first. There are studies that show that resting during the day can have a negative effect on well-being if it is not followed for a certain amount of time.

Do I need to sleep during the day?

Many scientists believe that naps have a positive effect on human health. It improves memory, reaction, assimilation of information. Among the wellness moments, you can also highlight:

energy recovery;
improving physical and mental abilities;
increasing attention and perception;
reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you are not well rested at night, naps will relieve you of sleepiness and lift your spirits. The optimal time for sleep is considered to be from 2 pm to 3 pm. Sleeping in the late afternoon can lead to the fact that then you will not be able to fall asleep for a long time.

Almost any phenomenon has its disadvantages and disadvantages. Scientists believe that if your night's rest was strong and long, then daytime sleep is unnecessary and even unnecessary. It can worsen your condition, leading to fatigue, lethargy, and even insomnia.

An interesting experiment with a group of aircraft pilots. During the day, they were allowed to sleep for 45 minutes, after which the scientists looked at the state of health of the test subjects. The test result showed that after such a dream, people felt the same as when they did not get enough sleep: the reaction rate was reduced, and the mood was depressed. It was concluded that the well-being after a day's sleep is greatly influenced by its duration.

It turned out that the ideal duration of daytime sleep is either no more than 20 minutes, or no less than an hour. It is also undesirable to exceed two hours. Scientists believe that sleep phases are the cause of this phenomenon. The deep sleep phase begins just 20 minutes after falling asleep and lasts approximately 40 minutes. As in the case of a night's sleep, when awakening during the deep phase of sleep, a person feels overwhelmed, and his mental capacity is reduced. There is a possibility of headaches.

How to organize a nap?

Often adults have a problem: where and when to sleep during the day? After all, work does not always give us such an opportunity.

First, set aside some of your lunchtime sleep. It may be as little as 10 minutes, but they will energize as much as a cup of coffee. Taking such a short break will have a positive effect on your performance.

Second, find a suitable location. Some offices have lounges with cozy sofas. If this is not provided for at your work, use the car interior or buy a funny "ostrich" pillow: it will allow you to relax right at the workplace.

Third, create optimal conditions for relaxation. Use a sleep mask to protect your eyes from light and ear plugs from noise.

To wake up even better, before going to bed, you can drink a cup of tea: tonic substances will affect the body in just 20 minutes and you will wake up.

The benefits of daytime sleep for children

If for adults, daytime sleep is useful, then for children it is necessary. The lack of daytime sleep in a one-year-old child negatively affects his mental development. The norm of daytime sleep at this age is at least three hours. By the age of two, the need for daytime rest gradually decreases to one hour.

At the same time, scientists recommend not to create complete darkness and silence in the room where the child sleeps. He must distinguish between daytime sleep and nighttime sleep. If the child refuses to sleep, do not force him, but put him to bed early in the evening.

A sound and healthy sleep is essential for the body's physical and mental well-being. With regular inadequate sleep, a person invariably feels the consequences. If your nighttime sleep has been disrupted, try to fill the need for rest during the day. Lack of sleep manifests itself in the form of fatigue, lethargy, depression, and low mood.

Everyone loves to get some sleep. Both toddlers in kindergarten and adults often doze 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 nourished. 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 nap are.

1. VOLTAGE RELEASE

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 naps.

2. INCREASING THE CONCENTRATION OF ATTENTION AND PRODUCTIVITY OF WORK

Research shows that 20 minutes of sleep during or after work 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 vitality. 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 EFFECT ON MEMORY AND LEARNING

Anyone can experience the positive effects of daytime sleep. 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 testing 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.

Sleeping well at night and taking some time to rest during the day will help your body 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 effects on health are invaluable, 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 perspective. This has a positive effect on the way we do business. You spend very little time on yourself and your rest, but your work as a whole benefits.

7. HELP FOR SLEEPLESS NIGHTS

Nobody feels good if they slept poorly 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 got 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 spend a long time without sleep, 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, having a lunchtime nap 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. Sara 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 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 need to get up immediately. 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 walk a little, 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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It is believed that daytime sleep is the lot of preschoolers. However, such a statement is completely unfounded. Moreover, more and more doctors around the world are "prescribing" naps for adults as a means of relieving tension, recuperating and eliminating fatigue.

So does an adult need a daytime sleep, or is it enough to just get a good night's sleep? If you know all the advantages and difficulties of such a dream and use them correctly, then the answer is unequivocal - Yes I need it!

The benefits of daytime sleep

Daytime sleep allows you to invigorate, restore mental clarity and energy. A short break in the afternoon allows you to stay equally effective throughout the day, especially in adverse weather conditions or repetitive work.

Half an hour of sleep during the day improves imagination, alertness and concentration. That is why many representatives of professions that require concentration try to lie down for a short while during the day.

Scientific research in recent years has shown that sleeping during the day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, helps to cope with incipient viral diseases and stress. In addition, a short daytime nap supports the regeneration processes in the body, which means that while you sleep, you become younger!

To relieve muscle and psychological tension, the benefits of a daytime sleep are also difficult to overestimate! This is a kind of reboot for the whole organism, after which all systems are debugged, especially the system of neuro-humoral regulation. Overcoming difficult tasks, finding the right solution or the right words - all this is possible in a dream, so when you wake up, you will already know the answer to the question that occupied you.

The harm of daytime sleep

Meanwhile, many of us have verified from our own experience that sometimes, after a nap, you feel even more overwhelmed. What is the reason for this reaction?

The fact is that too long sleep during the day leads to disturbances in the internal perception of time. The brain falls asleep too deeply and goes into deep sleep. Waking up at this time, you will feel tired, and your head will be "as if in a fog." Headaches, a drop in blood pressure, and a general feeling of fatigue are also possible.

So what is daytime sleep - benefit or harm?

Exists a few rules to take full advantage of the benefits of naps for adults.

Go to bed from 12 to 15 hours, no more than 50-60 minutes.
Use the coolest place in the room to sleep. If possible, open the window. Fresh air will help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep.
It is very important to properly tune in to the fact that the dream will be short. It is best if it will take place in a place that is different from the night sleeping place. Get into a comfortable position, think of something good, or play soothing, relaxing music.
Try not to overeat before bed.
Set the alarm for 40 minutes, but when you wake up, do not jump up immediately, but lie down for a few more minutes, gently stretching. This leisurely transition from sleep to wakefulness will further enhance the benefits of naps.
If you you work in an office, and your lunch break is 1 hour long, use half of that for a nap. To do this, sit comfortably in your place, lean your elbows on the table, put your head on folded arms and move a little back on the chair so that your back takes an almost horizontal position. In this position, all your muscles will be relaxed enough to have time to rest.
Young mommies can arrange a “quiet hour” with their child. A short break in the middle of the day will allow a tired woman to recuperate, reduce the effects of stress and routine.
If your lifestyle does not allow you to build naps into your daily routine, then use for it weekend... Even one nap a week is of great benefit to an adult!

What if you can't sleep?

Daytime sleep for adults is a matter of habit. Learning to fall asleep easily and wake up easily after lunch will take you some time.

Create yourself a short laying down ritual, similar to the evening one, but shorter. These can be 2 actions that will become a kind of signal for the body. They must always be the same and go in the same order.

Here is a rough list of the activities that are usually included in the daytime bedding ritual. All of them take less than 5 minutes of time, but with regular use they help you fall asleep quickly and efficiently.

Washing with warm water.
Self-massage of fingers, neck base and auricles.
A glass of warm (not hot) tea, drunk in small sips.
Soothing melodies, songs and lullabies - for example, as on the disc by Natalia Faustova.
Inhalation of lavender or mint essential oil, 1-2 drops of which can be applied to a handkerchief and carried with you.
A soft warm bandage that covers the eyes.
A special "envelope" where you can put your feet free from shoes.

If you are still not sure if you need a nap, try to sleep at least 3 times a week after lunch. You will be surprised how fresh and rested you will feel after!