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Is Napping Really Good for Us?

Most people aim to get 7 to 9 hours of continuous sleep at night. The technical term for this is “monophasic sleep,” meaning a single long stretch of sleep at night. However, we might not be programmed to sleep this way.

Biphasic Sleep

You’ve likely experienced that sleepy feeling in the afternoon when your alertness drops and you feel a bit drowsy. You can also notice this in others as their heads start to nod during afternoon meetings.

You might think this afternoon’s drowsiness is due to a big lunch, but in fact, this seems to be pre-programmed. If electrodes were attached to your head, a decrease in brain alertness in the afternoon, typically between 1 to 4 pm, would be observed.

This suggests that we might be designed to sleep in a biphasic pattern, meaning a long sleep at night and a short nap in the afternoon, similar to the siesta cultures in some parts of the world.

Napping Can Be a Double-Edged Sword

However, is napping always a good thing?

Not necessarily.

While scientists have discovered that naps can provide benefits for both the brain and the body, they can also be a double-edged sword.

Taking a long nap in the afternoon or early evening can reduce your sleepiness, much like snacking before a main meal.

So, if you have trouble sleeping at night, the best advice is not to nap during the day. Instead, build up your fatigue to make it easier to fall asleep at night and have a restful sleep.

However, if you don’t have trouble sleeping at night and can nap regularly during the day, a 20-minute nap earlier in the day can be perfectly fine.

Information from TED channel with over 25 million subscribers

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