Science Says Short 10-20 Minute Naps Are The Most Effective When Midday Fatigue Hits

National Napping Day is observed annually following the return of daylight saving time. National Napping Day allows everyone to have a nap and catch up on the hour of sleep they lost due to the spring-forward time change.

National Napping Day was created in 1999 by a Boston University professor and his wife.

• 700 BC – The Ancient Greeks would regularly take naps during the hottest part of the day
• 27 BC – Ancient Roman physicians prescribed naps to their patients.
• 601 AD – Naps were commonly taken in Ancient Arabia and sometimes as a part of religious practices.
• To this day, the Spanish still honor the tradition of taking midday naps or “Siestas.”
• Mid-afternoon naps are an integral part of most cultures and are scientifically proven to be good for you.
• Numerous studies have shown that short 10-20 minute naps are the most effective when midday fatigue hits.  Improvements in alertness, productivity and mood have all been shown to improve with this type of snooze.
• It used to be something we all did in the middle of the afternoon.
• In Italy they call it the riposo, pisolini, and even old Charlamagne (yes that Charlamagne) has been recorded as having taken 2-3 hour naps in the middle of the afternoon.
• There are notable benefits to taking a nap in the afternoon, including evidence pointing to a 37% reduction in occurrences of coronary mortality in those who take an afternoon nap regularly.
• An “Ask Men” survey asked men what they liked to do after making love. Taking a nap topped the list by a landslide. Having a snack came in second. Women’s answers ranged from cuddling, talking, being left alone, and being fed.
• According to a study by the National Sleep Foundation, 74% of women get less sleep per night than men, yet women feel more guilt about napping than men.
• Napping offers several benefits for creating healthy adults, including relaxation, reduced fatigue, increased alertness, improved mood, improved performance, increased reaction time, better memory, and fewer accidents and mistakes.
• Humans are the only mammals who willingly delay sleep and plan naps.
• Sleep researchers suggest that repeating a simple word like “the” at irregular intervals blocks the mind from racing and helps a person to fall asleep at night or to take a nap.
• Google headquarters has “nap pods” that block out both light and sound.
• Since Thomas Edison invented the lightbulb in 1879, nighttime sleep for the average American has dropped from nine hours per night to less than seven.
• There is a napping competition named the National Siesta Championship held in Madrid every year, where the winner can take home a cash prize.
• The Japanese respect workplace naps so much that they even have a name for them, “inemuri.”The word translates to, “to be asleep while present.”
• Those who relish naps are in good company: JFK, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Salvador Dali, Eleanor Roosevelt, Leonardo DaVinci, Margaret Thatcher, and George A Bush all savored an afternoon nap.
• If you are sleeping the recommended time for napping, then you shouldn’t be able to dream.
• The only way you can dream is if you take a 90-minute nap, which is not recommended.
• There Are Three Types Of Nappers:
  • Habitual Nappers: People who nap at the same time every day
  • Planned Nappers: Folks who plan to take a snooze before they get tired
  • Emergency Nappers: People who wait until they are so tired that they have to stop what they’re doing to take a nap
• Long naps and naps taken late in the day can negatively impact our nighttime sleep habits. According to the Mayo Clinic, an optimal nap time is between 10 and 20 minutes.

Sources:

National Day Calendar

Days of the Year

Fact Retriever 

Tomorrow Sleep

National Today