Why You Should Not Take Long Naps During the Day
What is more refreshing than a nice afternoon nap? Sometimes, that's all we need to carry on in a day! Especially when things become so overwhelming and draining in the day, taking a nap is the best way to refresh and feel at ease. Most people also try to get the amount of sleep they've lost. It helps us become energized and regain back our strength. However, do daytime naps do more harm than good?
According to experts, napping, in general, is not a bad idea! In fact, it can bring many benefits like boosting memory, being more alert, relieving stress, and helping you be less impulsive and deal with frustration slightly better. It all boils down to the duration of your nap - the determining factor of whether you will see positive or negative effects. The recommended power nap for adults should only be in the 10 to 30 minutes range, and anything more than it can cause health issues.
Here are reasons why you should avoid taking frequent long-lasting naps during the day:
It causes sleep problems
A study from the University of Pittsburgh found that after experiencing short, inefficient sleep at night, people would take long naps the following day and experience poor sleep again later that same night. The cycle goes on and on, which becomes even harder to break! This affects daily functioning as it contributes to having that feeling of grogginess during the day. You may also feel less productive, which affects your overall mood when it continuously happens, and vice versa.
It increases certain health conditions' risk
Do you also know that naps longer than an hour increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases by 82%? It is also linked to a higher risk of serious conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, hypertension, obesity, and stroke, and it even contributes to the development of metabolic syndrome.
It leads to lower life expectancy
The consequent effects of sleep deprivation or other sleep problems on overall physical health are vital to the quality of life, and most importantly, when it comes to life expectancy. Because sleep affects all the other aspects of human health, the risk of mortality is high with concern to this issue.
There are many reasons why we love napping. The bottom line is it is not entirely bad for as long as you do it right! The earlier you nap, the better. It is also crucial not to go beyond the recommended power nap time as it will determine whether or not your nap is good or bad. If you feel the need to take one during the day because your sleep is constantly interrupted, you might want to check THIS out!
Additionally, a good set of The Snoozzze Box pajamas and some bedtime goodies to tuck you to bed may help create more healthy sleeping habits!