Maybe you were up late watching your new favorite series, and now you feel weak. Drinking a cup of coffee to keep your feet on the ground is a good idea. But is there a better way? A good old-fashioned nap may be just what you need! But is an afternoon nap healthy or not?  Aren’t you curious? Read on to find out!

What is an Afternoon Nap?

This may sound like a strange answer, but what exactly is an afternoon nap? Is it a few minutes of dreaming? Or do you actually have to lie down to get it? Actually, during afternoon naps, you consciously close your eyes and fall asleep; they can be as short as 10 minutes or as long as an hour or even longer. Therefore, any time spent sleeping in the afternoon can be considered an afternoon nap.

How To Make an Afternoon Nap Healthy?

Now that you have an idea of what an afternoon nap is, let’s consider its effects on the body. Below, we will discuss the various ways that an afternoon nap can affect your health. These benefits make an afternoon nap suddenly very appealing:

Increased Productivity

Have you ever noticed that you are less productive at work in the afternoon? An afternoon nap is necessary for you to recharge and have a productive afternoon. Many large international corporations are increasingly offering their employees the opportunity to take a nap in the workplace. For this purpose, they provide unique rooms where employees can sleep. You may want to discuss this with your next personnel review!

Contributes To Good Heart Health

An afternoon nap once or twice a week has been linked to heart health in studies over the past five years. Subjects’ risk of cardiovascular disease decreased when they took one or two naps a week. This may have something to do with the stress-relieving effects of afternoon naps.

Effective in Relieving Irritability

Napping is a great way to relieve stress and change your mood. Napping during the daytime reduces impulsive behavior and helps cope better with irritability.

 Improved Memory

An afternoon nap can improve memory; a 30-minute nap is more effective for remembering new information than continuing to study without this nap. Of course, you may want to take a nap in the afternoon and continue learning after the rest.

Sleep, Break, Nap

Stress Reduction

An afternoon nap is meant to help you completely relax and start the day with energy. This short break will lower your cortisol levels and make you feel less stressed. In the long run, reduced stress has many other health benefits. So, in the short term, it is especially nice to relax and clear your head.

How Long Should An Afternoon Nap Last?

Now that you know the benefits of an afternoon nap, let’s look at what an ideal afternoon nap should look like. It is incredibly vital to determine how long your afternoon nap should last. The perfect amount of time that can be maintained is about 10-20 minutes. In some cases, a nap of 30 minutes is possible. If your nap has already lasted 30 minutes, it is best to experience it for yourself to see how far you can go to wake up refreshed.

Remember that the longer you nap, the harder it will be to wake up feeling refreshed. If your nap is too long, you are more likely to fall into a deep sleep and wake up again from it. Napping for more than 60 minutes is also associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than not napping at all.

Do you take naps? Let us know in the comments below!