The perfect nap can bring us many benefits as long as we follow a series of guidelines. It is not a waste of time; on the contrary, it helps us to be more productive during the rest of the day.
The perfect nap should be a mandatory moment in our daily lives. Or at least that is what different studies lead us to believe. The siesta is one of the most popular Spanish customs and one of the most famous outside our borders.
According to a study carried out by the Spanish Bed Association (ASOCAMA), 40% of Spaniards take a nap and the average duration is about half an hour. This duration is very close to the ideal duration of the perfect nap.
Advantages of napping
As much as it has been said, napping is not a “lazy” habit, but an activity that can bring many benefits. If we take the perfect nap, we help our brain to make better decisions according to neurology, since that sleep time helps us to process information. This improves decision making and may even improve the ability to solve complex problems, especially if the REM phase is reached.
Duration of the perfect nap
Here everyone will have their own ideal answer as to how long the perfect nap should last, but the studies are clear: between 20 and 30 minutes. In fact, according to a NASA study, the perfect nap should last 25.8 minutes. Will we be able to be as accurate in putting her to sleep?
How to
How to achieve the perfect nap has also been extensively studied. In fact, contrary to what most people do, we should avoid sleeping on the couch. The ideal is a calm, quiet place, with a pleasant atmosphere and a good mattress.
Another interesting note is the seasonality of naps. In any month of the year they are good, but it is during the spring and summer months when they are most needed. At this time of the year, the increase in daylight hours and the change in temperatures lead to greater fatigue and a decrease in our energy.
Why napping is bad for some people
There are people who claim that naps are bad for them and it is very likely that if they followed the tips for the perfect nap this would not happen.
One of the most common reasons that napping feels bad is sleep inertia, which happens when the brain wants to continue sleeping to complete a full sleep cycle. This happens when naps are longer than 30 minutes, since after this time, you are more likely to fall deeply asleep and enter into that sleep inertia.
It is also essential not to try to compensate for a deficiency of nighttime sleep by napping. If you take long naps to compensate for the lack of sleep at night, you enter a vicious circle that alters the quality of your rest.
In short, the perfect nap can bring us many benefits as long as we follow a series of guidelines. It is not a waste of time; on the contrary, it helps us to be more productive during the rest of the day.
