Most of us hated taking naps when we were little, and usually put up a fight with our parents, but if you are like me you will want to take one everyday, and will try to find anyway possible to take one! There are different ways people can choose to take naps. One way would be a planned nap, which is when someone takes a nap before they are tired, these help if the person knows they are going to be up later than normal. The next way a person can take a nap would be taking an emergency naps. We all have those days where we are just to tired to do anything. By taking an emergency nap this will help feelings of drowsiness and fatigue.The final would be habitual napping. This is when someone takes a nap everyday at the same time. This is directed towards younger children but some adults will take a nap at the same time as well. Now that you know different ways to take a nap, here are some benefits of taking naps.

Taking short naps that range from 20-30 minutes has been proven to help alertness and performance. By taking these short naps you wont wake up with that groggy feeling like you do in the morning! A big tip to help you be able to take a quick nap would be to have a good sleeping environment that is quiet and at a comfortable temperature. Taking naps also help with reducing the amount of mistakes someone can make. NASA conducted a study that showed that by taking naps military pilots and astronauts showed a 34% increase in performances. Along with enhancing performance and alertness, naps also provide psychological benefits. By taking a nap, a person can go on a "mini-vacation" and helps the person relax after dealing with stress!

Did you know that by taking a nap, you can improve your learning and working memory! By taking a nap your working memory that is involved in complex tasks where you need to concentrate really hard improves. By taking a nap your able to improve your memory retention and help store memories that are in short term to long term! So the next time someone says taking a nap is bad, tell them that you are just working on improving your working memory! Not only does taking a nap help increase working memory, but they also help prevent burnouts and information overload! Lets face it, we all have too much to do in little time and your probably thinking that there is just no time in your schedule to take a nap! well by taking the time out of your day for a power nap you increase your productivity in the day because when you are tired your energy level is low, but by having a quick 30 minute nap you have more energy therefore you will have an increase in productivity!

We talked about how naps improve memory and alertness, but by taking naps, your health is also improved! Taking a nap helps boost your immune system because when you take a nap you produce growth hormones which help your body! Naps allow your body and mind to rest so that it is not overworked. Along with helping improve your immune system, naps improve your mood as well. If you are like me and don't get enough sleep, you can become very grumpy and irritable. The neurotransmitters in our brains produce serotonin which helps regulates our mood, sleep and appetite. It also produces contentment and well being. When we are stressed and tired higher levels of serotonin are produced and blocked from making more and as a result we can become depressed, over whelmed and easily distracted. Taking naps "bathes your serration levels that reverse those effects into positive ones. As well as you are able to save money from not having to buy caffeine and other drinks to stay awake.

Have issue with blood pressure? Did you know that by taking a nap your blood pressure is lowered! Taking a nap helps reduce coronary mortality which is associated with reduced cardiovascular stress with daytime sleeping. Taking naps also calms your nerves!

So the next time someone complains that all you do is take naps, or you feel like you have too much to do to take a nap - remember some of these helpful benefits of taking a nap! Happy napping everyone!