Benefits of taking an afternoon nap!

A human body requires 8 hours of undivided sleep at night, but is that enough for the body and mind to function properly? Well, no. Running around the clock makes one both physically and mentally exhausted, and to often recharge ourselves, it is necessary to take frequent naps in between.


An afternoon nap can enhance your mental and physical health, and there are many benefits to taking an afternoon nap, including improving our alertness, mood, and better memory.

Reducing health problems
Afternoon naps can also help one pay attention and reduce the risk of health accidents, and it also helps lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.

Manages stress and mood
Afternoon naps are also known as power naps, and they last for 20 minutes. However, longer naps can be more restorative and also cause sleep inertia or reduced quality of sleep at night. Naps trigger the releases of hormones like serotonin and dopamine, which help manage stress.

Brain health
Afternoon naps help people's minds to be fresh and be more creative, and it enhances the brain's ability to retain and process information. It also helps consolidate memories from transferring information from short-term to long-term storage.

Find the right balance.
While napping can help your mental and physical health, it is very important that timing and duration should be crucial. Napping for 10 to 30 minutes will help avoid sleep inertia, and it is better to not have more than 30 minutes of sleep as a longer time period will interfere with the nighttime sleep patterns.

A study also revealed that sleeping between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. is the ideal time for napping as it can improve cognitive function. It has also been proven that people who can incorporate short naps into their daily routine may be happier and healthier.