The Power of the Nap
by Gretchen Casillas
Sadly, napping is often frowned upon in our workaholic American culture. When we think of napping men we think of Dagwood passed out on the couch after consuming a giant, delicious sandwich. Naps are for the lazy and unambitious. Or for retirees with plenty of time on their hands. The man who falls asleep at his desk at work is laughed at. And when we doze off, we feel guilty.
But in reality, the nap stigma is incredibly misplaced. Naps can be one of the most powerful tools for self-improvement; they can increase not only our health and well-being but our intelligence and productivity as well. This is something great men have known all along.
Many of us find it nearly impossible to get enough z’s at night, and sleep deprivation causes a host of bodily and mental ills, keeping us from performing at our best and enjoying life to the fullest.
While a good night’s sleep is essential, a daily nap can buoy us up when we’re not getting quite enough winks. And for those who already sleep well at night, a nap can take take the performance of your body and mind to the next level.
The Benefits of Napping are many! It increases alertness, improves learning and working memory, prevents burnout and reverses information overload, improves stamina, heightens your senses and creativity, improves health and mood, saves money on energy drinks and coffees, and, well, it’s just awesome!
All you need to do is carve out 20 minutes somewhere in your day. If time is an issue, try this:
Caffeine Nap!
* You down a cup of coffee or other caffeinated beverage and then immediately hunker down for a 15-20 minute nap. It takes awhile for the caffeine to circulate through your system, so it doesn’t effect the quality of the nap. Instead, it kicks in in tandem with the refreshment you would feel upon awakening from a normal power nap.
* I’ve personally found the caffeine nap to be effective, especially when you’re crunched for time; it’s easier to get up and keeps you from the temptation of turning a 20 minute nap into an hour and a half session.
Are you yawning? Ready for your nap? Sleep Well.
Gretchen Casillas is an owner of Sleep Well. She’s an active community member, involved in many Chamber of Commerce activities. She is known for her sense of humor and oft times off-color jokes. She’s a family oriented person with three children, one of which is an active duty Marine. When you visit Sleep Well in Alamogordo chances are you’ll hear her laughing in the office area or on the sales floor helping her many customers.
