The secret to the power of naps

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Research shows that regular naps can reduce stress and even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. For effective naps, it's a good idea to set an alarm for 30 minutes so your sleep won't be interrupted.

1. Short naps and lack of sleep

Daytime naps can be a treatment for sleep deprivation. Sleep expert - author of "A Nap! Change your life” says, “We can get unexpected benefits from a 15-20 minute nap. Reset the system in the body, stay awake and increase movement.
It's what most people really need to stop sleepiness and boost energy. Nap time and sleep patterns enhance brain benefits. The 20-minute nap, sometimes called a stage 2 nap, is great for alertness and fine motor skills like typing or playing the piano.
If you sleep for about 30-60 minutes, it is very good for decision-making skills such as: remembering vocabulary, recalling instructions. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, usually between 60 and 90 minutes, plays an important role in making new connections in the brain and creative problem solving.

2. The importance of naps

Our bodies and minds are designed to rest for about a third of their existence. Because it is closely linked with many health, mental and physical problems. Sleep helps recover from stress and allows vital organs time to rest. This is why not getting enough sleep can have many adverse effects.
Short sleep reduces cardiovascular events Previous research has shown that people with a genetic background for cardiovascular disease can reduce cardiovascular events by getting enough sleep. However, sleeping too much or too little also increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Professors of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco write a paper addressing the fact that researchers still have more questions than answers when it comes to naps. The biggest challenge is how to define and measure these rest periods.
In one study, researchers from the University Hospital Lausanne in Switzerland used data from 3462 participants with no history of cardiovascular disease. Check how often and how long the participants were getting adequate sleep each week and their heart status thereafter. Over the next 5 years, the researchers recorded 155 fatal and nonfatal heart disease-related cases among the study participants. Found that there was a significant reduction in cardiovascular disease risk in those who took naps once or twice a week compared with those who didn't nap at all. Even explained to people with sleep apnea or excessive daytime sleepiness. The researchers said they found no link between short sleep duration and cardiovascular disease.
Researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan - where a culture of napping in the workplace is seen as a sign of hard work - found in 11 studies on short sleep and heart health follows a curve like the letter “J”. That means the risk tends to decrease by a certain point but then increase again. Short naps of less than 30 minutes are often referred to as "energy naps" that are beneficial in preventing coronary heart disease but seem to have the opposite effect if people take longer naps. Napping has been found to be more common in older adults with diabetes, depression, chronic pain or insomnia which can create a need for daytime sleep.
It is too early to conclude whether napping is appropriate for maintaining optimal cardiovascular health. Research offers reassurance that the answer is probably more than a simple “yes” or “no” and that there is much more to learn about naps.
Boosts immunity Taking a nap can help the immune system. Lack of sleep increases the release of pro-inflammatory substances and causes immunosuppression. Coping with this with a short nap over the course of a few days improves immune system and cellular function. A short nap helps reduce levels of inflammatory cytokines and norepinephrine, a chemical that helps control immunity.

3. How to have an effective nap

Research shows that regular perfect naps can reduce stress and even reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. To have effective naps, you should:
Maintain regular naps, the best time to sleep is mid-day from 13 to 15 hours. These hours are natural human stagnation. If you try to nap earlier than that time, your body won't be ready to sleep more, and if you nap later than that, it can disrupt your night's sleep; Setting an alarm for 30 minutes is one way to take an effective nap; Sleep in a dark room or wear an eye mask. Light blocking helps to fall asleep faster. Use a thin blanket because your body temperature will drop when you sleep. A reasonable sleep, maintained 2-3 times a week can be good for heart health. Daily naps can be a sign of not getting enough sleep at night or an underlying health problem. A nap should be shorter than 30 minutes or longer than 90 minutes. If the need for a nap increases and there's no obvious cause for the fatigue, talk to your doctor about getting health care.

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References: mayoclinic.org, healthline.com