Poll: Are You a Napper?
By: Nancy Howard,
SparkPeople Blogger
4/11/2009 5:58 AM
: 321 comments
One of my few guilty pleasures on the weekends after my long run is to lie down on the couch and nap. I am not talking hours, only 20 or so--just long enough to recharge my batteries. While I haven’t always been a napper, I have learned to appreciate the energy these short breaks provide.
However, if you think napping is only for those who are lazy and unmotivated, well think again. Some of the world’s greatest and most respected leaders and celebrities have been known to nap including: Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Albert Einstein, Leonard di Vinci, Gene Autry, and Thomas Edison just to name a few.
For me napping provides me with renewed energy. It refreshes my thinking process, improves my mood and many times helps curtail binge eating. I once read that many times we turn to food when we are tired because we are looking for energy when in all reality it is our body’s way of telling us we need rest.
Napping has so many benefits; however,it should not be a replacement for a good night’s rest. Sleep is very important, not only for rest and renewal, but for allowing the body to repair and recover from the stress of exercise.
So what are some benefits of napping?
Increases alertness
Increases energy
Lifts your mood
Increases performance
Lessen midday stress
Helps control appetite
According to the Archives of Internal Medicine those who took a nap for at least 30 minutes 3 times a week, especially working men, were less likely to die from heart disease than those who did not nap.
It is important to note, however, that you want to keep these siestas to less then 20 minutes—any longer and the body may go into a deeper sleep therefore making you feel groggy and less energized, therefore defeating the purpose of the nap. And it could even cause issues with your ability to fall asleep later that night.
So while I don’t always have the opportunity to enjoy a nap every day, I have come to appreciate the days when I can sneak one in. They are like giving my body and brain a mini-vacation to re-energize me the rest of the day.
Are you a napper? Have you always been a napper? Do the seasons affect your napping abilities? In other words, do you find it easier to nap when it is cold and cloudy versus the warm, sunny days of summer?
However, if you think napping is only for those who are lazy and unmotivated, well think again. Some of the world’s greatest and most respected leaders and celebrities have been known to nap including: Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Albert Einstein, Leonard di Vinci, Gene Autry, and Thomas Edison just to name a few.
For me napping provides me with renewed energy. It refreshes my thinking process, improves my mood and many times helps curtail binge eating. I once read that many times we turn to food when we are tired because we are looking for energy when in all reality it is our body’s way of telling us we need rest.
Napping has so many benefits; however,it should not be a replacement for a good night’s rest. Sleep is very important, not only for rest and renewal, but for allowing the body to repair and recover from the stress of exercise.
So what are some benefits of napping?
It is important to note, however, that you want to keep these siestas to less then 20 minutes—any longer and the body may go into a deeper sleep therefore making you feel groggy and less energized, therefore defeating the purpose of the nap. And it could even cause issues with your ability to fall asleep later that night.
So while I don’t always have the opportunity to enjoy a nap every day, I have come to appreciate the days when I can sneak one in. They are like giving my body and brain a mini-vacation to re-energize me the rest of the day.
Are you a napper? Have you always been a napper? Do the seasons affect your napping abilities? In other words, do you find it easier to nap when it is cold and cloudy versus the warm, sunny days of summer?
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Comments
I am also known as an energetic person by my friends. - 4/14/2011 8:58:25 PM
- 4/15/2009 10:39:54 PM
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