Why You Need To Start Napping

We are all used to the routine of going to bed at night and being up all day, but as our lives get busier and more and more people are suffering from sleep deprivation is it time to bring back the nap?

Sleep experts are warning that we are heading towards a sleeplessness epidemic, Matthew Walker, the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California has predicted we could half the NHS spend if we could ensure more people got a better nights sleep.

The modern day has meant that it is harder and harder to drift off, blue screens from your phone to the TV are a distraction and also prevent deep sleep if on in your bedroom. We have more sedintary lives which impacts our ability to sleep as well as added stresses as many households need 2 incomes to survive due to inflation and expensive house prices.

All of these factors are contrinuting to a very tired population, and it isn’t getting any better.

Nap Time

Innovative companies such as Google are introducing nap times to help employees recharge their batteries througout the day and have seen beefits in productivity and employee engagement from thee sleep pods. Of course they are only following on from more European traditions of the ‘Siesta’ where in most Spanish countries you will be lucky to spot a loal mid day as they retire for a nap while the sun is in full height.

Naps can help you reduce stress as discovered by NASA who conducted a study on pilots and astronauts, they also found they increased productivity by 34%.

How Long Should You Nap For?

A nap should only be for around 20 – 30 minutes, too long or not enough time can make you feel groggy as you wake in a part part of your sleep cycle.

It is recomended that you have a quick nap when your blood sugar levels dip around mid afternoon, however not everyone can work to a specific schedule.

It is a common myth that if you nap in the day you will not sleep at night, in fact naps can help you get a betetr nights sleep, especially if you get in a pattern as you decrease stress levels which is a common cause of sleeplessness. There is no benefit to sleep depiravation, it can have a negative affect on your health, physically and mentally and if you are not getting enough sleep you need to work out why.

A Good Nights Sleep

Naps are great and if you can incorporate them into your lifestyle you should for increased productivity, lower stress levels and a better mood and other health benefits for repair and growth of cells. However, there is no substitute for a good nights sleep, no amount of napping will offset not getting a full nights sleep.

At LongBeds we have lots of tips on our blog for a good nights sleep and of course our selection of bedding and divans can help you feel nice and comfortable ensuring you drift off peacefully in your bed.