The Anatomy of a Nap

THE ANATOMY You there! Yes you, nodding off and drooling on your keyboard! If you're OF A = feeling drowsy every afternoon it might be time to take a siesta. Quick NAP afternoon naps have been shown to increase alertness while helping workers stay productive all day long. Take a look at the benefits of an afternoon nap, and see what happens to your body while napping. NAPPING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW A short nap, just Taking an afternoon nap just $18 billion: Annual cost of lost productivity from drowsy workers in US businesses 20 - minutes, 3 times a week decreases increases alertness the risk of heart- disease and productivity related death by 37% Despite this, 2% of employers have disciplined office-nappers That's a 38% increase from 2002! Even The President You've Got That Needs To Nap 2 O'clock Feeling The best time for a nap: Every afternoon at 3:30pm, Lyndon B. Johnson would take a nap Anywhere between 1 pm and 3 pm The drowsiness often felt during midday is due to the He claimed this broke his day into "two shifts" hypothalamus JFK would take a nap after lunch every day! This small portion of the brain regulates the body's "clock" Creates a lack of alertness during the midafternoon THE VARYING QUALITY OF NAP TIMES 60-90 MIN 20 MIN REM sleep begins Often called the "power nap" or "stage 2 nap" Promotes the creation of new neural connections which aid in the solving of creative problems Promotes alertness and motor learning skills such as typing and playing a musical instrument The risk of waking up feeling groggy greatly increases with naps of this length 30-60 MIN Longer naps increase memory and enhance creativity This benefits decision-making skills I.E. memorizing vocabulary or recalling directions 1 NASA study discovered that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness by 100% among drowsy military and NASA pilots YOUR BODY WHILE NAPPING A CLOSER LOOK AT THE 30-MINUTE NAP Ø-5 MIN 5-25 MIN Though no longer conscious, the body's senses are still active Adenosine deposits in the body begin to break down This draws you deeper into sleep A loud noise or rough touch can cause you to wake up The adrenal glands begin stockpiling cortisol Cortisol helps you feel alert Heart rate slows upon waking Blood pressure Immune system begins to reset decreases Fatigue reduces the immune system's efficiency Eye movement ceases 25-30 MIN When extremely tired, nappers can begin entering REM at this point A simple nap can't fix this level of drowsiness - it's time for a good night's sleep! FOR TH E BEST =NAPPING RESULTS= Be regular Keep a regular nap schedule Go dark Nap in a dark room or wear an eye mask Blocking out light helps you fall asleep faster Stay warnm Your body temperature drops while asleep Make it quick Always keep a blanket nearby Set a 30-minute alarm SOURCES p://michaelhyatt.com/why-you-should-take-a-nap-every-day.html http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/WaterCooler/story?id%3D124677&page=1#.UND8Q7VVHLC http://www.oprah.com/health/How-to-Get-Through-the-Afternoon-Slump-Without-Coffee/1#ixzz2FRzrAcV8 http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/the-secret-and-surprising-power-of-naps http://www.sleepfoundation.org/article/sleep-topics/napping http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/benefits-of-napping NN