Ah, napping. Who doesn't love to nap? I like to keep busy but every now and then the urge hits me and I know it's time to act on it and go lay down, if only for 20 minutes or so. If we look at babies, kittens and puppies, they nap all the time. Why? Why do these teeny tots need so much sleep? Well we all know sleep is mandatory for mental and physical development in children but that holds true even for adults too. Sleep is important and necessary. Period. But what about napping. Why do we resist the urge to nap and why, also, do we feel the urge to nap?
Many of us are up early, off to work and/or to see the family off to work and school. Our days are busy and by midday many of us are ready to drop from exhaustion. By the time evening arrives, we're too wired for sound to even relax enough to sleep. It's a vicious cycle and many of us experience it. In comes napping. The one thing so many of us wish we could do, yet we don't. Here are some reasons why you should be doing it more.
Refresh recharge rejuvenate.
The 3 r's, but the important and necessary 3 r's. Often we forget that most days by midafternoon we are running on empty and just recycling old crap in our minds and in our lives. When we have a little power nap, we allow our brain to shut down and off and recharge allowing for new and fresh ideas. This will also prevent us from burnout, which is something so many of us suffer from.
Happy camper.
Not only can we recharge and rejuvenate, but if we were plagued with negative thoughts throughout most of the day, having a nap will help us to dump those thoughts and wake up happier. If you're one of the lucky ones who has great dreams during a nap, then quite possibly you will experience a happy dream and wake up with a smile. No more negative thoughts.
Our defense mechanism.
Our body has funny way of telling us things and sending us messages. Too many of us simply ignore these messages and we shouldn't be. When we can no longer focus on the task at hand, when we no longer have energy to do one more errand or get through one more hour of the day, it's time for a nap, even a power nap. Close your eyes for 10 minutes and see how much better you will feel. Your body is screaming at you to stop. Listen to it.
Chill out.
Sometimes we just need to lock ourselves in a room, forget the fight we just had with our spouse or family member, close our eyes and sleep it out. If we stay in an angry state for too long, our risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke increases. It's important to let go of stress so as to not create or provoke dis-ease. You may think it would be impossible to calm down after a fight but you'd be surprised how fast you can fall asleep after a fight. You're emotionally and mentally exhausted. You'll be asleep in no time.
Watch me go.
Having naps also contributes to higher productivity. When we nap for at least 20 minutes, when we awake we are fully charged, our minds are clear and we can work at peak performance. Fresh ideas may come flooding in or perhaps we think of different ways to see old ideas. The fog has been cleared and we have a better focus. Maybe something came to you in a dream. Napping definitely can help us create and be more productive. Try and you'll see.
Many of today's thought leaders, celebrities, most successful business people and top performers still have naps daily. They know and get the powerful benefits of getting a bit of shut eye, half way through the day.
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