Nat’l Napping Day, but are Naps Really Good for You?

A nap, and for National Napping Day, maybe you should think about getting a little snoozer in just because it's a good excuse.  But should you? There are some pros and cons of napping.  Funny thing is for me, I have never been a good napper.  Even when I was a kid... naps were not my thing.  I would lay there for whatever time was expected just staring around the room.  My mom said she knew I was really hurt once when I said that I wanted to take a nap.  That never happened.  And apparently it's still hard for me to nap even as an adult.

So, according to Minnesota based Mayo Clinic, there are some good things and some bad things about taking a little siesta in the middle of the day.

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The good things:

• Relaxation
• Reduced Fatigue
• Increased alertness
• improved mood
• improved performance

The bad things:

• Sleep Inertia- this is when you feel groggy or kind of disoriented when you wake up from a nap. (this is my issue if I sleep any longer than like 10 minutes)
• Nighttime Sleep Issues- if you do nap, keep them to a shortened time.  Naps during the day can play a part in continued nighttime insomnia. Also if you take longer naps during the day it can inhibit any sort of good sleep that you could get at nighttime.

If you are going to nap, there are some things to consider.  Make sure to keep them rather short... up to 20 minutes.  Also, make sure to take a nap in the early part of the afternoon, like before 3pm.  And as with almost all sleep, make sure you are in a dark, cool room with minimal distractions.

But- happy National Napping Day!