Power Naps - What Most People Don't Know About Naps
By Kacper Postawski
Kacper Postawski is an innovative sleep science researcher and the creator of the
"Powerful Sleep - Secrets of the Inner Sleep Clock" system.
One of the biggest questions I get asked all the time is "Are naps good for you? Or bad? I've heard both sides of the story." I'd like to settle this argument once and for all right here, and reveal to you how you can properly manage your sleep to create an abundance of energy in your life, with LESS sleep.
Yes, naps are VERY good for you, IF you understand how the sleep system works, and you know how to nap PROPERLY.
In my "Powerful Sleep" course I teach people how to properly understand their sleep system, circadian rhythm, light exposure, and how it affects their inner sleep system. While we can't get in this article, here's what is true:
Most people don't realize that sleep is actually quite a complex and fascinating inner system. When we're sleeping, we're not just dead zombies off in an unknown universe. Your inner sleep system is a mechanism which follows specific time periods and stages to energize your body.
So how do you nap properly?
You take what are commonly referred to as "Power Naps", or what I usually refer to as "Stage 2 limited naps."
You see, when you sleep you go through what are called "sleep stages", there are 5 stages in total. The first two stages, Stage 1 and 2 are your "Light Sleep". It's during this stage that we sleep "lightly", we are easily wakable, and our circadian rhythm isn't altered enough to create a disturbance in the sleep system.
The Energizing effects of Stage 1 and 2 sleeps are very beneficial, just 10 minutes of sleeping in these stages can restore your energy to the point where you feel as if you slept for 8 hours.
However, why do most people do more HARM than GOOD to themselves by napping?
It's simple, they don't know about "deep sleep." Deep sleep comprises of all the other sleep stages. It's during deep sleep that your body undergoes a MASSIVE physiological change, your body temperature, heart rate, respiration drops. Your blood vessels dilate and all the blood that is usually stored in your main organs during the day is channeled to your muscles to repair them.
If you enter deep sleep during the day, your circadian rhythm, and your "inner sleep clock" (see link below for details) will be altered and out of wack, often resulting in an in-balanced, weak sleep system and lower energy levels all together.
For an average person it takes about 45-90 minutes to enter "deep sleep", this is why for an effective nap you MUST keep your nap down to a MAXIMUM of 45 minutes. Even 45 minutes is sometimes too much. The most energizing naps are usually 10 to 20 minutes long.
If your naps last too long, you will enter deep sleep. Waking up from a deep sleep phase is more harmful to your sleep system and your energy levels than good! You will often feel lethargic, low on energy, and in that "zombie" state of mind.
If you use naps properly, you can boost your energy levels drastically, and lower your sleep time down drastically.
However, there are still two vital things you must know about napping in order to make them super effective during your day, so that you're capable of lowering your sleep, and boosting your energy.
1. You must know exactly what the best time during the day is to take your nap.
2. You must know what to do AFTER your nap to speed up your body temperature rise.