How Long to Nap for the Biggest Brain Benefits

You fall asleep… Peek your watch… Nap again and several times so... Did you know that it reboots your brain? Following the Wall Street Journal, we will only confirm recommendations for planning your perfect sleep, when and how long to nap.

How Long to Nap

Experts say that taking a nap for 10-20 minutes is sufficient for mental clarity and a quick boost of alertness. They recommend a 10-20 minute power nap before every important event when you need stability or speed. If you still want to restore your brain memory, you need at least 60 minutes, says Dr. Mednick. He also says that a 90-minute nap is a complete cycle of sleep, which helps to improve creativity or increase emotional and procedural memory. This is a condition when the human brain stores all steps taken, for example, when you learn how to drive a car. In this case, you may feel worse and more tired after waking up than before the nap. Why is this so? According to Dr. Michael Breus, if you nap longer than 30 minutes, your body enters a phase of deep sleep and it isn't easy to get out. Therefore, the more you sleep the more tired you feel.

Calculate How Long to Nap with This Interactive Nap Wheel

Nowadays, life has become so dynamic that you have a lack of time to complete all of your obligations. This was the reason why I did some research on how to reduce the duration of sleep, but still stay fresh and rested. The conclusion is that Life Hacker is unnecessary. In addition, taking 20 20-minute naps in the afternoon gave me extra energy to complete the rest of my obligations in the next 3 - To 4 hours.

Nap Benefits

A study published in PubMed found that napping for 5-10 minutes increases cognitive abilities and sense of alertness compared with no nap. It also:

• Boosts Alertness;
• Improves Learning And Memory;
• Increases Creativity;
• Boosts Productivity;
• Lifts Your Spirits;
• Zaps Stress.

You should always know that a lack of sleep can cause serious medical illnesses such as: 

• Heart failure or heart attack;
• High blood pressure;
• Heart failure;
• Stroke;
• Obesity;
• Depression;
• Mental impairment;
• Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD);
• Poor quality of life;
• Fetal and childhood growth retardation;
• Injury from accidents.

Therefore TAKE A NAP - whenever you can.

Simple Nap Tips

• 10-20 minute nap - fast recharging;
• 60-90 minute nap - deeper sleep rejuvenation;
• During your nap, sitting up slightly helps to prevent deep sleep.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ_f9onTTQE Source: Life Hacker