Question
I retired earlier this 12 months and have began to enjoy taking afternoon naps. But is regular sleep good for my health?
Oh The very first thing to think about is whether or not you sleep because you're sleepy throughout the day. If so, what's the explanation? For example:
- Do you're taking any medication that makes you sleepy? Review your prescriptions along with your pharmacist or at your next doctor's visit.
- Are you having trouble sleeping at night? If you sleep well at night and get up refreshed, don't worry. But in the event you feel groggy or have a headache early within the morning, you might have insomnia or one other sleep problem.
- Can you be depressed? Ask yourself in the event you now not enjoy activities that used to bring you joy and in the event you feel low.
If you are feeling your sleep could also be related to those problems or other health concerns, see your doctor. However, it feels like your naps are voluntary and enjoyable. This probably doesn't reflect an underlying sleep disturbance. Snooze if it refreshes your day without making it difficult to sleep at night.
For most individuals, going to bed within the early afternoon, when your body experiences a natural circadian dip, is the most effective option to get a couple of winks without disrupting your sleep-wake cycle. There is not any consensus on how long it is best to sleep. Some experts recommend that naps should last now not than half-hour. The limit is 60 minutes, as longer sleep durations have been linked to the next risk of health problems comparable to heart disease.
Try to schedule your naps and never wait until you are feeling sleepy, which can prevent you from sleeping late within the day. Keep your sleeping space dark, cool and freed from distractions. (But there's nothing flawed with an ordinary couch nap if it's essentially the most comfortable.) Remember to present yourself 10 minutes after a nap before engaging in mentally or physically demanding activities.
There remains to be some stigma about taking a nap within the workplace in America, on account of long-standing perceptions of decreased productivity and even laziness. But there's solid evidence that afternoon naps can improve a employee's cognitive performance, especially for complex tasks, and stimulate creativity.
When NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration studied the consequences of blinking on pilots, they found that blinking improves mental alertness and performance. Many night shift staff reportedly woke up after taking a brief nap of 15 to twenty minutes.
So, enjoy your sleep. Even in the event you return to work, maintaining a day nap as a part of your each day routine may be helpful.
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