Napping is crucial not just for maintaining your well being, but also has a really positive effect upon the functioning of your brain. While napping is important, there are times where you feel groggier after taking a nap than you were before. So, it is really important to take a nap for a specific period of time only to get the maximum results out of it.
According to experts, a power nap of 10 to 30 minutes is the best thing for making you feel more alert and energetic than before. It has also been found that this much amount of time actually provides you with such a high level of boost that you can use it throughout the day. When your nap goes beyond these 30 minutes, your body actually goes into deep sleep, which makes you more tired and sleepier once you wake up.
Napping for just 20 minutes several times throughout the day actually provides you with more mental clarity, and your brain starts to function more clearly. This habit of napping also lets you function well for at least 4 hours straight in one day. But, it is completely normal that towards the end of the day, a person starts feeling less alert and energetic even after taking several 20-minute naps. This is because of the fact that the brain actually needs to go into a deep sleep.
By taking a nap of 60 minutes, you can easily increase the cognitive power of the brain. However, taking a 90-minute nap is much more recommended. The reason is that when you sleep for 90 minutes or more, the brain processes all the emotional memory needed for its functioning. Also, your creativity is more polished while in a deep sleep at the end of the day. Sleeping for 90 minutes means that there will be less amount of sleep inertia throughout the day.
However, according to a study, a nap of 10 to 20 minutes is ideal for providing an instant energy boost. During this time you remain in NREM (Non-Rapid Eye Movement) mode of sleep, which does not let you fall into a deep sleep. A 30-minute nap may leave you groggy in some instances.
A 60 minutes nap is although great for your brain as it helps you in remembering different elements and also helps in aiding your creative thinking; however the negative side of this amount of time is that it often leaves you groggy after you wake up. Moreover, 90 minutes of sleep involves REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and lets you go through all the different stages of a deep sleep. During this stage of sleep, you are most likely to dream. After waking up, you are likely to be more alert.
How long you nap definitely has a lot of impact on the function of your brain. This is why it is highly recommended to understand the importance of the amount of time needed before you decide to take a nap.
To understand more about naps and how long you should sleep for, watch this video, which explains the scientific power of Naps:
