Why Naps are Good for You!

May the force (of a nap) be with you!
A short 20-minute nap has more power than all the caffeine you can drink in 20 minutes. Believe it or not? The truth is that the power nap can reset your system, provide a burst of alertness, increase your motor performance and give you that spurt of energy you’ve been searching for. Bet your favorite energy drink can’t do all that – without interfering with your sleep later at night!
But when’s the best time for us to grab all this napping goodness? Experts say the most optimal time for a nap is mid-day between 1pm and 3pm. Try to squeeze in a nap after 4pm and you’ll throw off your night time sleep schedule and reduce your sleep quality.
Ready to ask your boss for a scheduled naptime during work hours? If only we could be so lucky.

Go to: http://www.restonic.com/blog/art-power-nap-9456 for full article.

Napping Times

There are a variety of nap times to choose from that can help your energy and brain functions in different ways. According to WebMD, these are the naptime breakdowns:

• 20-minute nap – Good for alertness and motor skills such as typing or playing the piano.
  
• 30 to 60-minute nap – Good for decision making skills, like memorizing vocabulary or recalling directions.
• 60 to 90-minute nap – Helps in making new connections in the brain and with solving creative problems.
• Sleep inertia – If you need a quick burst of energy, don’t nap longer than 40 minutes. You may enter a deep sleep, which can leave you feeling drowsy, groggy and generally worse off than before you took a nap.