If you’re a napper, you already know how great naps can be for your health. Just waking up from a nap is a beautiful, refreshing experience. But now, there's even more scientific support for your midday nap.
This new study had participants complete an impossible task, then either take a nap or watch a nature video. The study found that those who napped were much more likely to approach the impossible problem calmly when they woke up, and they didn’t give up as quickly on it as those who didn’t nap. This may mean that naps can be good for problem solving, dealing with frustration, and controlling impulsive behaviors, like quitting.
This study is small, and a lot of work needs to be done before any conclusions can be made. But this is just one of countless health benefits that have been found in other studies. In fact, there are several studies where the results encourage napping in the workplace.
Naps are well-documented to be mood boosters, not just frustration relievers. Sleep deprivation makes us cranky, and a ten or twenty minute nap can have us feeling refreshed and much happier. Not only can a nap cheer us up, but it can get rid of stress, too. Experts at the National Sleep Foundation encourage people to think of napping as a “mini-vacation,” and just thinking of it this way can relieve stress.
And if you feel like taking a nap during your break will negatively affect your work, there are studies that contradict that, too. Napping has been proven to improve alertness—even a ten minute nap make some people at least feel more alert—and could boost productivity after the nap. ##MN_RESP##
But it’s not like anyone needs more than one reason to take a nap! Whether you lay your head on your desk or get comfy in your car, those extra minutes of sleep are sure to pay off.
