#HealthBytes: Five benefits of taking power naps
It is no secret that most of us don't get a good night's sleep on a regular basis, owing to the vagaries of modern life and work pressure. Our normal reaction to being chronically underslept is drinking loads of coffee, but that does no good to your health. A more sustainable alternative is taking power naps. Here are top five benefits of power napping.
Power napping improves your productivity, alertness
Believe it or not, the magic of power naps even fascinated NASA. So much so that the space agency conducted a study wherein people were allowed to take 26-minute power naps each day. It was found that even this tiny amount helped in improving performance and alertness. So the next time you feel sluggish at work, take a 30 minute nap to freshen up.
Power naps are good for heart health
What if you could deal with high blood pressure without having to rely on medication and prescriptions? Turns out, it is possible. Several studies have shown that taking mid-day power naps helps decrease blood pressure, and lowers damage from high blood pressure in the heart and arteries. So, for better heart health in the long-run, power naps are the solution.
Power naps are known to enhance cognitive abilities
Research suggests that power naps (less than 30 minutes) can boost memory, learning capacity, and promote wakefulness and alertness regardless of age. Additionally, studies also suggest that power naps stimulate the right hemisphere of the brain, which is the zone of creativity, thereby helping you get your creative juices flowing. So, if you have a big project/exam coming up, consider taking power naps.
Power naps gives a boost to your mood
This possibly comes as a no-brainer but power naps have shown beneficial effects on a person's mood. Sleep, in general reduces stress and elevates mood, and science proves that regular naps help in improving mental and cognitive health. For the elderly, power naps might go a long way in reducing frustration and confusion, as they improve coordination and reaction time.
Napping keeps your testosterone levels from falling
Sleeping disorders and sleeplessness are known to lower testosterone levels. Conversely, it has been found that getting more and better sleep, even in the form of power naps, could go a long way in improving testosterone levels. Testosterone also plays a major role in weight-loss and building muscles. So if that is on your agenda, quality power naps can help.
