Take A Nap! Have Success!
Have you ever fought a child to take a nap? Something you as an adult look at as a privilege, yet the child feels like it’s the worst thing you could make them do. We as adults act like naps are only something a child needs or can take time for. Naps should be for everyone! Napping allows for higher productivity, better moods, and safer work environments.
The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) states, “More than 85% of mammalian species are polyphasic sleepers, meaning that they sleep for short periods throughout the day. Humans are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers, meaning that our days are divided into two distinct periods, one for sleep and one for wakefulness” (Napping, n.d.). Humans in general lead very busy lifestyles though some cultures encourage napping. Americans generally are not part of that. The NSF states that “United States appears to be becoming more and more sleep deprived” (Napping, n.d.). Napping is not a replacement for a good night’s sleep though a short nap, recommended 20-30 minutes can have major benefits. (Napping, n.d.).
According to the NSF there are 3 types of napping. Planned napping, emergency napping and habitual napping. Planned napping is when a person plans to take a nap before they are tired. Emergency napping is when a person is suddenly tired and must nap to keep going through their day.Habitual napping is when a person takes a nap around the same time every day often children and elderly fall into this napping category. (Napping, n.d.). This article is focused on you the working adult so we are going to focused on planned naps.
Planned napping comes with many benefits and there is something to benefit everyone from it. Napping will allow for a person to be more productive with their waking hours. After a planned nap they will not feel sluggish and tired but rather focused and alert. This creates a safer work environment especially in physical labor or high-risk jobs. This could be any job working with heavy machinery, making life changing decisions for others, or heavy driving. Napping also allows for better moods leading to a happier, more enjoyable workplace. This means less turnover and a more productive staff making the company more money and employees safer and happier. Everyone benefits from a short nap!
The most effective nap time recommend by the National Sleep Foundation is 20-30 minutes. This can be done during a lunch break or a specific planned time. This can be a company standard that vastly improves the company, just as many companies require their employees to get up and walk around every few hours. Napping at work will benefit the Americas industry and workforce.
The best way for a working American to nap is to plan their nap and then set a time for 30 minutes and allow your mind to rest knowing that you have set aside these 30 minutes to allow your body and mind to rest and rejuvenate. Find a quite comfortable place and take a nap, you deserve it!
References
Napping. (n.d.). National sleep foundation. Retrieved from: https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/napping