The Main Types Of Naps And What They Can Do For You | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Health and Wellness

The Main Types Of Naps And What They Can Do For You

Napping: The Best Time Of The Day

131
The Main Types Of Naps And What They Can Do For You
mrwallpaper.com

We've all heard it-- napping is good for you. But have you ever really looked at the reasons why naps are so amazing for your overall health? Depending on what you are looking for, there are multiple kinds of naps that would be able to help you in any area that needs a boost, but instead of giving you a rundown on every single napping style, this quick overview of the main 4 snooze sessions is sure to help you find peace during mid-day workloads.


20-Minute Nap

These naps are labeled as the "ultimate power nap" because they can quickly make you more alert, while at the same time improving your learning and memory skills. 20-minute naps also help recharge your mind and body, reduce stress and improve your mood. Taking multiple 20-minute naps throughout the day whenever you're feeling groggy is not going to hurt you as long as you have at least a couple hours in between the naps. When you need a quick pick me up, take a short 20-minute snooze but don't hit the snooze button! These short naps are in the lightest stage of non-REM sleep, which makes waking up afterward much easier. If you hit the snooze button and sleep any longer you will wake up feeling groggier than before the nap.


30-35-Minute Nap


30-35-minute naps reign supreme when it comes to enhancing productivity. Many studies have shown that those who take these quick naps increase their cognitive functions, and one study from NASA found that this increase is roughly 40%! Although this is wonderful news for anyone struggling to get sleep at night, this type of nap is most likely to leave you feeling groggy afterward due to slowly entering deeper sleep than before.


60-75-Minute Nap


A nap that lasts anywhere between an hour and an hour and fifteen minutes will give you all of the benefits listed above, while at the same time help you improve your memory, especially with names, faces, places, and facts. On the downside, these naps also have the tendency to leave you feeling tired afterward, so prepare yourself to try to stay awake before anything major occurs.


90 Minute Nap


If none of the previous naps sound like the one for you, maybe consider a 90 minute nap. These naps help with creativity and emotional and procedural memory, making them ideal for studying for an exam because your mind will better understand the information that was handed to it before the nap. Since this napping style is considered a full cycle of sleep, waking up afterward is much easier than 30-minute or 60-minute naps, leaving you feeling awake and ready to go for the rest of the day.


Of course, naps aren't for everyone, and some peoples bodies will react differently to certain types of naps than others. The best way to figure out which napping style fits your needs best is to get used to taking naps daily if you aren't already. Maybe try shortening the 20-minute to 15 minutes, or lengthening the 30 to 35. Whatever you do, avoid hitting that snooze button for the best results, and remember to take a nap a day-- just not at work.


Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
coffee

It's finally flu season! It's around that time in the school year where everyone on campus is getting sick, especially if they live in the dorms. It's hard to take care of yourself while being sick at school, but here are some coping mechanisms to get you on the path to feeling better!

Keep Reading...Show less
Health and Wellness

The Battle Between College And My Mental Health

College isn't easy, and I'm afraid I'm not going to make it at the rate my mental health is going.

320
woman sitting on black chair in front of glass-panel window with white curtains
Photo by Anthony Tran on Unsplash

Everyone tells you that college is hard, but they fail to explain why. Sure, classes are hard. Math sucks, and political science can be so boring. But that's not even what's killing me about college. What's killing me about college is my deterioating mental health.

As a college student, I feel as if people don't understand just how exhausted I, and fellow college students are. We have so many things going on, all the time, and sometimes it's hard to explain to people how we feel. Personally...I'm tired. I'm sad. And I'm struggling every single day with my emotions. But the thing is, it hasn't always been this way. I haven't always hated school, so why am I feeling like this now?

Keep Reading...Show less
manager

For the average 20-something, life moves pretty fast. You’ve got classes, friends, relationships, jobs, family, and whatever else we overcommit ourselves with. I probably should have learned to say no to adding more to my schedule a long time ago, but instead here are 11 things that can be more helpful than coffee.

Keep Reading...Show less
Parks And Rec
NBC

Your professor mentions there's a test in a few days and you didn't know about it.

Keep Reading...Show less
Blair Waldorf

Resting b***h face. Defined as a person, usually a girl, who naturally looks mean when her face is expressionless, without meaning to. Many of you suffer from this "condition." You are commonly asked what's wrong, when nothing is. What people don't know is that is just your facial expression. Here are some things they wish you knew.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments