Do you regularly find yourself reaching for caffeine or sugary drinks and snacks to get you through to the end of your working day?
If so, it's maybe time to think about fitting a quick nap into your afternoon routine.
Napping is a self-care practice that may help to refresh both body and mind, with an afternoon snooze that helps maintain your alertness or overcome that post-lunch energy slump.
We all napped as new-borns, babies and toddlers to supplement the sleep we needed at night, but over time most children's napping habits are reduced or stopped altogether in favour of a longer sleep throughout the night.
Is it time to reinstate napping into your working day routines again?
How long Should You Nap?
Most studies recommend napping for no longer than 20-30 minutes, as sleeping longer can make it difficult to fall asleep at night.
Napping for longer than 20-30 minutes could mean that you enter deep sleep, which could actually make you feel more tired then before.
However, shift workers may actually benefit from a longer nap, even up to 90 minutes in length, as the napper will move through a full cycle of sleep, preventing the disorienting effects of waking up from deep sleep.
Even a 5 minute cat nap can be beneficial though, just closing your eyes for a brief rest can be relaxing and restorative as well as giving you that little bit of energy to make it through to the end of the day.
