Napping
During this healing process, napping has been an integral part of each and every day. I have long been a fan of napping, but for the past month, they have been a necessity. One day, I was so tired at 11:00 am that I took myself off to bed. The HOTY (Husband Of The Year) woke me up at 5:30 pm. I thought that my watch stopped but nooooo, I actually slept the entire time. Now this is not the norm, of course, but naps lasting anywhere between 5 minutes and several hours have definitely been a part of my routine.
In my quest to learn more about the value of napping, I learned that naps differ depending on their length of time and that there are 5 types of naps:
- The Nano-Nap- these naps last about 10-20 seconds. They include the occasional nodd off on someone else’s shoulder on the train, or the classic head bob in the middle of day at your work desk. Sleep studies have not shown whether or not these brief naps are actually beneficial when it comes to making you less tired.
- The Micro-Nap- A 2-5 minute Micro-Nap is shown to surprisingly be very effective at shedding sleepiness. Now that I’m back to work, I’m going to try these!
- The Mini-Nap- A Mini-Nap ranges from 5-20 minutes and can increase alertness, motor learning, stamina, and motor performance.
- The Original Power Nap- This 20 minute nap includes the benefits of the Micro and Mini-nap as well as improving muscle memory. In addition, it improves muscle memory and clears the brain of useless built-up information, which helps with long-term memory.
- The Lazy Man’s Nap- The Lazy Man’s Nap consists of 50-90 minute slow-wave REM cycle sleep. It is great for improving perceptual processing and repairing bones and muscles.
The Silver Lining is that not only are naps great for you… but they can happen anywhere: in a car, lying on a couch, in a bed, on the grass at the park, or under your desk (like Buzz does every day on my feet!). As long as you are getting at least a Micro-Nap, then your body will be able to effectively combat exhaustion. Below are some of my favorite napping quotes in some ideal napping locations.
Images via Tumblr & Pinterest. If you happen to know who took, them, please let me know so that I can give credit where credit is due!