Monday 20 September 2010

Nap time

On Sunday afternoon I had a wonderful afternoon nap, which helped me catch up on some lost sleep from a couple of late nights in a row and recover from a particularly long run.

Whilst napping is usually associated with babies and old people it shouldn't be overlooked as a useful antidote to the busy city life.

Research has shown that napping can help reverse the effects of missed sleep (though not on an hour for hour basis) as well as improve cognitive function and recovery from injury, illness and exercise.

However whilst great as an occasional restorative if you find you need a nap every day this may be a sign that something is amiss.

Firstly you may not be getting enough sleep overnight so try getting at least 8 hours and see if you still need a nap. If you need a snooze after lunch then you may have blood sugar imbalances or food allergies that should be addressed.

If you have an afternoon nap and then wake too early the next day or have a restless nights sleep then you probably are better off without the nap which could be disturbing your sleep patterns.

However if you are feeling unwell or particularly tired after a hectic week try putting your head down for a few extra zzz on the weekend and it might just perk you up again.
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