Daytime nap 'is as refreshing as a night's sleep'

Daily Telegraph - UK ^ | June 23, 2003 | David Derbyshire

[Mister Magoo]

Daytime nap 'is as refreshing as a night's sleep' By David Derbyshire

Filed: 23/06/2003

Power naps, the post lunch snoozes advocated by Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein and George W Bush, can be as refreshing as a good night's sleep, according to a study.

Scientists have shown that a 60- to 90-minute siesta can charge up the brain's batteries as much as eight hours tucked up in bed. But in order to get the full benefit, dozers need to spend some of that time dreaming, the study found.

The findings come from psychologists at Harvard University, who tested the visual learning ability of volunteers.

The tests, which involved watching and then recalling the position of bars on a computer screen, were carried out at 9am and 7pm, and again at 9am the following day.

Test scores of volunteers not allowed to sleep during the day fell by the evening of the first day. But the reaction times of people who took a 60- to 90-minute sleep during the day improved in the evening, the researchers report in Nature Neuroscience.

Short naps only worked when they included two kinds of sleep - slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The two kinds of sleep are categorised by different brainwave patterns and are thought to help the brain rehearse and process new skills and information learnt during the day.

The scientists, led by Dr Sara Mednick, said: "From the perspective of behavioural improvement, a nap is as good as a night of sleep for learning on this perceptual task."

Power naps also added to the benefits of a good night's sleep. Volunteers who took a nap on the first day of the experiment were 50 per cent better at remembering the task 24 hours later than the non nappers. Last year a study found that men were more likely to take power naps than women.

[zarf]

Your method gives me sore a sore neck and headaches.....sleep on your side with a pillow making your head level to your shoulders. The only way to REM!

[Captain Culpepper]

I guess the fact that I took a Sunday afternoon nap today is the reason I am subjecting myself to a replay of today's DemocRAT debate today... normally a five alarm snooze!!!

[Skywalk]

Agreed.

I had one temp job where I could walk home, eat lunch real quick and take a 25-35 minute nap and make it back to work in time. Though my job was not particularly demanding, I can't tell you how re-energized I was for the rest of the day after getting a nap.

I've had a few other jobs where I had the ability to take a nap in an office during lunch or break, and it DOES help. The most important thing for me is it lessens my anticipation of the end of the work day, and gives me more energy when I get home(as opposed to jumping into bed for a nap at 530pm)

[Skywalk]

Hey, stop you're hating ma.

[Lancey Howard]

The sleep position I described is a native American "healing" sleep. I learned this long, long ago from more than one source. Don't ask me why, but it works.

[Sir Gawain]

sleep on your side

And wake up with your shoulder hurting? No thanks.

[dixiechick2000]

You're not doing it right.
It takes practice and technique.

Napping isn't for sissies, ya' know. ;o)

[dixiechick2000]

#27 ;o)

[PianoMan]

ROFL what have we here? :)

I've worked temp jobs for years (my screen name says it all) and I've mastered the art of taking a doze while appearing to contemplate the CRT or the window. Nothing keeps me from my daily nap - or two.

[PianoMan]

Always get your good night's sleep on your belly, with your feet hanging over the end of the bed and your head turned to the left.

If you're a belly sleeper, consider putting a nice thick pillow under your torso. It's easier on the neck, actually a quite nice way to sleep anatomically speaking. Sleeping on the side, it's often comfortable to have a thin pillow between the knees and arms/elbows. (I know this stuff from a training in some bodywork.) That's how I usually sack out, although I almost always wake up on my back.

[Sir Gawain]

Hmmm.

[Skywalk]

Sadly, even when I was regularly exercising I felt like I needed 10 hours of sleep a day. It's just one thing that holds me back.

Radiohead is my mother.

And dangit, I meant to say stop "your hating." I never make that you're/your mistake! Ah, must need a nap! :)

[dixiechick2000]

Shhhhh...sleeper thread.

I'm off to take the ultimate nap.

[Skywalk]

Although I don't do it anymore, I actually used to sleep sometimes on my back with my one foot on the mattress and the other leg half-crossed over it. Yes it was an odd sight, but comfortable.

Something I also used to do quite regularly was keep a pillow between my knees and sleep on my side.

[PianoMan]

even when I was regularly exercising I felt like I needed 10 hours of sleep a day

I used to need 9-10, after switching to a low carb diet I usually need about 6, no joke. I also give some credit to my movement/bodywork training (Feldenrkais method specifically).

[dixiechick2000]

"Hmmm."

ROTFLOL!

I think I see what you mean.

It was purely unintentional...

I can't stop laughing!

Ohhhh...crabby patties...

[Skywalk]

Can I ask you a question?

What does your normal day's diet consist of?

I'm just trying to think of what I would be eating that would enable me to be "low-carb."

[Lazamataz]

PING!!

[PianoMan]

Fresh fruit early in the morning w/green tea or sometimes coffee, bacon cheese & vegetable omelet with salad on the side for a late breakfast/early lunch (my schedule is a bit weird). Afternoon plate of salami, cheese, nuts and veggies, and then usually chinese or mexican for dinner, skipping the rice. Plus all the wine or Guiness I feel like drinking.

It's not super low carb, but it is fairly low, covers all nutritional bases and goes light on rice, pasta, bread, and potatoes.

I should also mention I have a weakness for fried dough in any form that I struggle with every time I walk by a Krispy Kreme or funnel cake stand. Some days I win, others not.

mmmm..fried dough....

[PianoMan]

Forgot to mention, also very low in refined sugar. Number one priority is to get it out of the diet, it's like eating lead how it weighs me down. Lots of sugar free chocolate/ice cream etc. out there now.

mmm....fried dough.....krispy kreme...