The benefits of a power nap.

Children are encouraged to nap, but a napping adult is often labeled as lazy. Ridiculous. Here are the five benefits of napping:

1. Naps can improve mood and increase energy.

2. Napping helps with memory consolidation.

3. Napping aids cognition and sleep quality. As we age, napping becomes more directly linked to mood stabilization and cognitive performance. A 30-minute nap around mid-afternoon has been shown to improve night-time sleep quality for older adults.

4. Napping can repair a sleep deficit. A build-up of sleep loss over a few days can wreak havoc on physical, mental, and emotional systems: Slower reaction times, impaired vision, and an inclination towards burnout are common symptoms. Incorporating a regular afternoon nap can dispel these side effects.

5. Napping helps you understand your sleep cycles. Experts say a 20-minute nap is the ideal length of time for a short snooze, but there’s evidence that a long nap (around an hour) can be even more restorative when timed correctly.

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