Power Naps: Napping Benefits, Length | power nap time
NapshelpConstanceKobylarzWilde,58,recharge,especiallyifshetakesthemrightafterlunch.Wilde,amarketingmanagerandhealthbloggerinMountainView,Calif.,isconstantlyjugglingherscheduleasaworkingmomandfamilycaregiver.Shesupby6a.m.everydayandtriestogotobedby10:30p.m.Butunanticipatedissuesoftenpushherbedtime[1]later."Icantdoall-nightersanymoreorjustgetsixhoursofsleepwithoutitbeginningtoaffectme,"shesays.Sotocombatfatigue[2]andstayontopofthingsatworkandathome,Wildehasmadepowernapsaregularpartofherroutine...
Naps help Constance Kobylarz Wilde, 58, recharge, especially if she takes them right after lunch. Wilde, a marketing manager and health blogger in Mountain View, Calif., is constantly juggling her schedule as a working mom and family caregiver. Shes up by 6 a.m. every day and tries to go to bed by 10:30 p.m. But unanticipated issues often push her bedtime[1] later.
"I cant do all-nighters anymore or just get six hours of sleep without it beginning to affect me," she says.
So to combat fatigue[2] and stay on top of things at work and at home, Wilde has made power naps a regular part of her routine, setting an alarm for a short snooze.
Daytime naps can be one way to treat sleep deprivation[3], says Sara C. Mednick, PhD, sleep[4] expert and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life. "You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping," she says. "You reset the system and get a burst of alertness and increased motor performance. Thats what most people really...