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However you look at it, even if many benefits are undeniable, riding or racing fatigues the body. During exertion, it accumulates more or less significant biological disturbances that require a period of restructuring. And during this period, the winning trio is: nutrition, hydration, and sleep. So, for today, it’s the last of these three elements that will interest us: sleep! And not just any sleep… the nap!
By Jean-François Tatard – Photos: Jean-François Tatard / @Depositphotos.com
What are the benefits of napping? Is it only for babies? Should we, as adults, rehabilitate it, even for those who are strong and valiant? I’ll cut to the chase to get to the answer, but yes, this mid-day sleep helps you recover and capitalize on your activities. But then, how long is it necessary? And how do you take a micro-nap?
What is a nap?
A nap responds to a physiological need to sleep that occurs between 1 PM and 3 PM. Or at least, right after lunch. However, in Western countries, it often elicits a smile and is sometimes even mocked by those who never indulge in it. In Asian countries, however, this privileged moment is much more ritualized.
Self-respect
When we look at the case of Japanese workers, napping is considered there as a mark of self-respect. In a country where wellness holds its place and performance is associated with a state of fitness, sleeping after lunch helps optimize efficiency and productivity. Everyone is culturally in agreement on the benefits of napping and its positive effects on the body.
How long?
To be most effective, a nap should be brief. 10 to 20 minutes is the most effective duration, especially if you manage to repeat it at least every other day on average. But how is it structured?
This is not an article about sleep cycles. Nevertheless, if it’s just about napping, it consists of slow-wave sleep and light sleep. Thus, nap sleep allows for a much easier return to daily activities than sleep after a night’s rest.
The effects of napping
The beneficial effects of napping on health are numerous. This neglected moment is yet a goldmine. It allows:
- To protect against cardiovascular problems and ensure better regulation.
- To lower blood pressure.
- To optimize memory.
- To immediately improve concentration.
- To significantly raise energy levels and recharge batteries.
- To be less irritable and more pleasant with those around you.
- To optimize performance through a supercompensation effect.
- To better manage stress and gain perspective on anxiety-provoking situations.
- To resolve thinking problems.
The three possible naps
- The five-minute nap! Yes, it exists! And it’s the one to prioritize when you’re working. It’s easy to implement and doesn’t take much time. Between two train stations. In the car during the rest of your lunch break, isolated in the break room positioned between two chairs or lying on the floor. It has a power that is very often underestimated. If you manage to offer it to yourself recurrently, you will significantly improve your performance.
- When you have a little more time, the 20 to 30-minute nap allows you to regain your alertness without disturbing the night’s sleep that follows. It is particularly enjoyable and allows you to start fresh. This is the one you take on weekends or holidays. On your sofa, in your bed, or your hammock.
- The nap of more than an hour, however, should be reserved much more exceptionally. It is only reserved in case of a significant sleep debt. If you don’t physiologically need it, and when you wake up after falling asleep right after lunch: it’s dark, there’s no point in hoping to fall back asleep at the time you’ll need to go to bed in the evening. And it will have the opposite effect of what is sought. It will have a detrimental impact. And you will disrupt your recovery. As well as the following nights.
How to take a micro-nap?
Taking a micro-nap is not for everyone, but it can be learned. To start, if you’re not used to a mini-nap, set your alarm. Then, try to find a good position, without any tension points. The best is still to find a position as stretched out as possible. Moreover, when the good weather comes, why not squat on the lawn?
In conclusion
It is scientifically demonstrated that even for our species, sleep is biphasic by nature. This means that sleep can be both nocturnal and daytime sleep. And let those who call you lazy sink into their fatigue! Napping is therefore completely natural and corresponds to a dip in alertness and a cyclical drop in body temperature. It holds its place in the day in a completely normal way. It responds to a natural need. And ultimately, we all benefit from taking a nap if the need to sleep is felt. Before investing in vitamins (mostly ineffective), prioritize how to fit 10 minutes of napping into your workday. You will only be more productive and appreciate being in excellent shape even more!
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