The Benefits of Napping

Did you know that more than 85% of the mammal species are polyphasic sleepers? This means they sleep for short periods of time throughout the day instead of one long stretch at night. Humans on the other hand “are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers, meaning that our days are divided into two distinct periods, one for sleep and one for wakefulness.” While many cultures set aside time each day for a nap, the United States is becoming more sleep deprived.

The Sleep Foundation says “while naps do not necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime sleep, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance.” If you think naps are just for the young or elderly, you should know that many people in history are known for a good nap, such as Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, George W. Bush and many others.

Although there are many benefits to napping, there are some negative effects as well, including sleep inertia, or feeling groggy as well as adversely effecting your nighttime sleep. We all enjoy a good nap from time to time, but if you are noticing your night time sleep quality and quantity is not as great on the days you nap, you might consider a shorter nap, or losing it all together.

So grab a blanket, a good book and crawl back into your Yogabed. With the comfort and quality, you’ll want to make napping part of your everyday routine!