In some countries in the world, napping during mid-day hours is now considered a worker’s right. Due to the fact that people are less productive at mid-day (that is, around 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.), employers in countries like Japan are now allowing their workers to take a nap during these hours. Such naps usually last about twenty or thirty minutes depending on the company policy.
Health Benefits of Power Nap during Mid-day
Napping: The Health Benefits
Scientific studies have shown that napping during these hours decreases health risks such as dying from heart-related diseases. It also increases the person’s concentration, creativity and productivity aside from refreshing his or her body.
Napping: How to do the Right One
Most of us think that napping is just a shortened form of sleep or a ‘quick charge’. To think of it, having yourself re-energized is the main benefit of napping. However, if you don’t know how to do it the right way, the supposed-to-be napping will eventually lead to deep sleep. And as we all know, it’s strictly forbidden to sleep during work hours.
Listed below are some useful napping tips during mid-day:
- Choose the best nap time for yourself. Since naps are only allowed for twenty or thirty minutes, make sure that you choose the best time in doing it. In most people, the best time is usually the time of mid-day where they mostly feel tired or lazy to do any kind of work.
- Don’t have a nap before sleep. Most people do some naps whenever they fell tired, even before the actual bedtime. Because of this, most of them find it difficult to sleep during the right sleeping hours, making them tired during the day.
- Avoid extending your nap time. Always make sure that you don’t extend your twenty or thirty-minute nap times by setting up an alarm clock. This is to avoid yourself drifting into deep sleep, which will make you feel groggy and have headaches afterwards.
- Find a peaceful and dark place to nap. Naps are very effective especially if you do it in a dark and peaceful place where you can relax. Some companies provide such places but, if in case that they don’t, better try to find some place inside the building yourself. Keep in mind, though, that the place where you are going to nap is not forbidden by the company itself.