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Do you feel sleepy in the afternoon like most people today? Maybe you feel a bit sluggish and are slow to communicate. Well that’s because it’s hard-wired into humans’ brains. It’s the reason you get sleepy between 1 and 3 p.m. daily. If you decide to take a nap when you feel sleepy by all means, go ahead and do so. It will not impede your night-time sleep schedule. Are short naps good or bad for you? What about long ones? Are there any health factors to consider when napping?
Short Napping
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A shorter afternoon naptime can help you with a variety of things. According to some studies, they show that sleeping for 15 – 90 minutes a day can improve a multitude of brain functions. These functions help with memory loss, your focus, and you’ll have more creativity. For some people this is just as refreshing and renewing as a whole night’s sleep. Other studies show that sleeping for a short period of time in the afternoon help to lower tension, which in turn decreases your risk of heart disease. Some research points to the fact that briefly sleeping during the afternoon can reduce fatigue, improve your cognitive performance, improve your mood, and even increase alertness. So as you lay down for a quick afternoon slumber just remember there are great benefits to it.
Long Napping
Sleeping for a few hours in the afternoon can have some risks that come with them. Afternoon napping that is considered long would be an hour or longer. This is because if you sleep more than an hour, you risk falling into a deep sleep, therefore, making it hard to wake up. This is also coupled with some health risks if it’s done frequently. If you sleep for long periods of time in the afternoon daily you could develop cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. These can lead to serious problems for you in the future. However, sleeping for a few hours in the afternoon every once in a while, doesn’t pose the same risk factors. Just don’t make it a habitual thing. If you make it habitual and you continue to sleep for long periods in the afternoon, then you could have increased chances at getting a medical condition. These naps will increase your chance of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes by 50% and increase your chances of having cardiovascular disease by 82%. These are staggering numbers. However, there are even worse medical issues than these 3 if you sleep for long periods of time in the afternoon. Including a decrease in mortality. Taking a daily nap that exceeds more than an hour can also increase the risk of all-cause mortality by 27%.
Try not to sleep to long in the afternoon, as a short nap is great for you mentally. Long ones can hurt you now and in the future. So find a happy medium somewhere between 15 – 59 minutes so that you can rest assured that your mental focus will increase, and your chances of medical issues will go down. Happy Sleeping!
