Do You Take Naps?: The Pros and Cons of Taking a Nap
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What is Napping?
“to sleep for a short time; doze”- www.dictionary.com
What do you think of when you hear the term “napping”? Most people immediately think of children. But what about adults that nap? Though there are many misconceptions about adults that nap, it can be a healthy habit. Before choosing to adopt this routine, weigh pros and cons to find out if it is best for you. If you find napping is helpful, following some simple guidelines can help make your naps powerful and effective.
Drowsy- A Haiku
Head heavy, nodding.
Craving to curl like baby.
Eyes drop, finally.
By KrystalD
Common Misconceptions about Naps
1. Laziness-Many people see adult napping as a sign of laziness or lack of motivation. On the contrary, naps can be a sign of a very active person.
2. For babies, the sick or elderly-Another misnomer is that naps are for babies, the sick or the elderly. Naps can be appropriate for all people regardless of age or physical condition.
3. Naps cause insomnia-Napping does not cause insomnia. Insomnia is a medical condition mostly signified by a chronic loss of sleep. The causes vary from one or more psychological, physical or temporary factors.
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Pros to Napping
1. Energy-The main reason an adult might consider a nap is because of midday tiredness. Naps are proven to help give an increase of energy if it is the correct length .
2. Mood boost-Napping can be a cure for the grumpiness that accompanies tiredness. When you take a brief nap, it can do wonders for your attitude through the rest of the day.
3. Alertness-Did you know that many accidents occur because of lack of alertness? If you have ever driven a car while tired, you know that it effects your response time.
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Excessively Tired?
Cons to Napping
1. Grogginess-A nap can cause some people to feel groggy. This is mostly due to taking too long of a nap.
2. Sleep trouble-Long naps can also through off night time sleep patterns. This is especially true for people that have pre-existing sleep conditions such as insomnia. Naps are not recommended in such cases.
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3 Nap Guidelines
1. Keep it short-As stated above, nap length is really the determiner of whether a nap will be beneficial. A healthy nap for an adult should never exceed 30 minutes.
2. Find a private place-A nap can be taken anywhere from a break room to a car. The key is to find a private, preferably quiet location as to unsure a lack of interruption.
3. Revive and refresh-After your nap, freshen yourself up for a quick transition back to your day.
Sleep Guidelines by Age
Age
| Length of Nap
| Frequency Per Day
|
|---|---|---|
Newborn to 6 months
| 3-5 hours
| 2-3 times
|
6 months- 1 year
| 3-4 hours
| 2 times
|
Toddlers
| 1-3 hours
| 1 time
|
Preschool to School-age
| 1 hour
| 1 time
|
Teenage to Elderly
| 10-30 min
| 1 time
|
Find the Right Alarm Clock
|
DIGITAL WEATHER PROJECTION SNOOZE ALARM CLOCK HM047-D
Current Bid: $13.99
|
3 Items to Make Your Nap GREAT!
1. Pillow-Having a pillow from home makes a nap even more comfortable. It may also cause you to fall asleep quicker.
2. Alarm clock-An an alarm clock can help ensure that your nap stay short and sweet.
3. Ear plugs-Let’s face it, it’s loud during the day! Ear plugs can give you instant quickness even in the loudest city.
Do you take naps?
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There are good naps and then there are bad naps. You know the difference not so much when you are actually sleeping as when you wake up. A good nap will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to continue on with your day. A bad nap will leave you...
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References
- What Causes Insomnia? | ehealthMD
There are many possible causes of insomnia. Sometimes there is one main cause, but often several factors interacting together will cause a sleep disturbance. The causes of insomnia include: Psychological causes; Physical causes and Temporary events o - KidsHealth - the Web\'s most visited site about children\'s health
- Napping | National Sleep Foundation - Information on Sleep Health and Safety
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Thanks for telling so many good things about naps. Someday when I have a nap I felt guilty. 15-20 minutes nap is always good and you had now made me feel better.Well-written! Voted up!
Does this has any thing to do with "Napster" ? :)
Great hub, I wish I had time to take a nap! Voted up, Kevin
I avoid naps because I'm one of the people who wakes from a nap feeling groggy, and now I know it's because I nap too long. On the other hand, my husband, who is always full of energy, swears by his half hour naps every day! Good article, and good advice on setting an alarm clock so you don't sleep too long. Voted up and shared- thanks for SHARING!
Dear Krystal ~ Absolutely excellent hub advice. Everyone can benefit from taking a nap whether 5 minutes or 90 minutes. Your perfect selection of soothing rain video makes me want to take a nap. Rain sounds so soothing. Blessings, Debby
I usually nap or have the urge to nap quite often, as my fibromyalgia causes insomnia, which means I rarely sleep well at night, so I really want to sleep in the day. My head ends up keeling over onto my books or laptop! This is not convenient for studying, as you can imagine. I just don't have enough time to take naps anymore :'''( But this was a great hub voted up.
Great hub! I'm a napper :-) Works wonders for me. Thanks for the alarm clock advice.
Until I started working from home (and even then it took about a year) I thought naps were a waste of time. When I took my first nap, I learned I was wrong. I feel better. I think better. I have more get up and go. I don't nap everyday..but I will say I pay more attention to my body and just know when it's needed. Great hub!
Great hub! I love taking naps, but I often feel groggy when I wake up.
I don't have much time to take a nap, because of my work at noon. But thanks for share about this information. I learn something new from this hub. Rated up and take care!
Prasetio
I can't even count the number of times I've tried to take a nap while studying...and woke up the next morning :P Thanks for the info!
Deborah, I miss the time I use to have for naps too :(
Sankari, I have never pulled off a short nap! good for you!
LOL! I suppose!
Kevin, You and me both!
Stephanie, I can never get that time down right either. Your husband sounds like a skilled napper! I just can't get enough of a good thing!
Thanks Debbie, I used that video to sleep myself. I like soothing sounds like that for bedtime.
Thanks toys! It is hard not taking a nap when insomnia is a problem. I struggle with this myself from time to time.
Lawdoctorlee-I have to have an alarm clock! Even this I snooze myself into more sleep. Glad this was helpful!
Rachel, sounds like working from home was a nice lifestyle change. Good for you!
Sabrani, Thanks for stopping by!
Glad you learned something new prasetio!
Ha! I am with you Alex! So many times!
Feels like an article I would find in well-read magazine! Kudos!
Thanks Moira.
Yes, i get the nap...sometimes 20 minutes will do me sometimes it my last 3 hours (not often). You are right I experienced both the vigor from taking a nap and the sluggishness that came come from it but I love'm. Don't you wish it was mandatory on the job. Maybe some of these grown A folks wouldn't come to work acting like children. GREAT HUB!
FYI for your readers, if you're waking up groggy, you're doing it wrong! Keep your shoes on, keep the lights on, and maybe keep the radio or tv on with very low volume. The trick is not to let yourself get too comfortable and go into too deep a sleep. Don't get discouraged, just PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
Trust me, I know: for it's entire existence, I've been Chairman of the U.S.O.N.T. (Olympic Napping Team)
NightFlower, I DEFINATELY wish my job had a naptime! LOL! I think everybody's attitudes would be much improved after a short snooze.
Windclimber, Yja's a great tip! I will add that to the hub for the sake of nappers everywhere :)
I feel energized after a short nap. I should live in a country where they take a siesta every day for a while. Some of the greatest minds ever took what they call power naps. I'll all for it!
I am for it too! Thanks for stopping by Mary!
I mostly take a nap when I wake up early in the morning. For me, a nap is good for my health as it boost my energy in the afternoon and I can concentrate well after a nap on whatever I am doing. Voted up!
Thelma, I feel the same way! Taking the time can be tough but I do enjoy a good nap :)
I can have nap anytime i want.. i feel so good taking a 15 minute nap in the afternoon. So i always an afternoon nap.
I never used to do this, until I went to Thailand. They are more laid back about life and so if you are tired, you sleep ... makes sense right. Most work places even have an areas for a quick nap. Although I don't do it often, on days I feel whacked, a 15-20 minute nap works wonders for energy, mood and concentration for the whole day.
Thanks for SHARING.
Never a guilty taking a nap after reading this hub of yours, but sadly, I simply not able to "squeeze out" some time since last year...appreciate your work, KrystalD, take care...
Brett.Tesol-I find that many cultures respect the need for rest. I loved being able to lie out after eating a big meal in Egypt!
Injured Lamb-Thanks for the reading. I wish I had more time for rest as well. I try to think of the times I will have the time to rest in the future.
I love this affirmation of such a healthy topic. I have taken a quick twenty minute nap some days and it has given me such a boost. I also would add that when you have too much sugar it will cause you to feel sleepy. This may bring on that groggy feeling afterwards. Great hub!
Thanks for reading and commenting! I enjoy writing about things that matter to my own life. Sleep is a major issue for me. I have struggle without good rest and I have found that naps can be a blessing or a curse.
Deborah Brooks 4 months ago
wow great hub.. I don't ever have time to take naps.. I wished I did.. In face it is 1:45 am and I need to go to sleep now.. I know I stay up to late.
Ok.Good nite LOl
Be blessed
Debbie