When and why should you nap?

-

A good nap can improve memory and help regulate

emotions. Although napping can help relieve your

drowsiness, it can also interfere with your ability to fall

asleep at bedtime. 



Keep the following advice in mind to help decide if you should take a nap:

Set an alarm. Studies show that the best nap length is about 10-20 minutes. Napping for too long can leave you feeling groggy for up to an hour.

Nap early. Napping late in the day can make it harder to fall asleep at bedtime. Try napping around the halfway point between the time you wake up and the time you plan to go to bed.

Ask yourself if a nap is needed. If you are up late or have interrupted sleep, you might take a recovery nap to compensate for sleep loss. Naps are also considered to be necessary when you are sick. A nap might not be the answer if you are a healthy adult who struggles with waking up after a short nap.

Prepare for sleep loss. If you know you are going to work an irregular schedule, try to plan specific times to make up for lost sleep. Night shift workers may schedule naps before their shifts in order to stay alert while working.

Nap for an emotional boost. Sometimes naps are taken for the enjoyment of napping. Napping can be relaxing or improve your mood and energy level.

Plan your nap. Give yourself time to wake up before resuming activities — particularly those that require a quick response.

Napping can be helpful or harmful depending on your age,

how long you nap, and the reason for your nap. You may

not be getting enough sleep at night if you are feeling extra

drowsy during the day and find yourself napping more

often. Talk to your primary care provider about your sleep

routines or any other symptoms you are experiencing.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Developing a Workout Routine

-
Image
Developing a routine when working out is important for achieving fitness goals and protecting your body from injury. Below are some tips and tools on developing the perfect workout routine. Use these tips to customize a workout routine that works for you! Tip 1: Consistency Building a strong fitness routine does not happen overnight. You must develop a process and work at it regularly. Decide how many days you are going to work out each week and commit to fitting it into your schedule. Tip 2: Recover Your muscles need time to recover to completely benefit from your physical efforts. When creating your routine, make sure there are days for rest! You do not have to remain completely inactive on recovery days. Long walks, light yoga and casual swimming are all things that get your body moving while still allowing time for your muscles to recoup. Tip 3: Variety Consistency is important when you are thinking about duration and frequency of exercise. Variety is import
Read more

Are You Health Smart Online & On Your Phone?

-
Image
It's hard to deny that more people than ever are turning to the Internet for instant access to information on any topic. From surfing the net to downloading an app, the opportunities are endless when it comes to finding out information about how to manage your health. According to recent research, approximately eighty percent of Americans have, at some point in their life, searched for health information online. This statistic makes it the 3rd most popular web-based activity of Internet users! The problem, however, is that only fifteen percent of those individuals actually check whether or not the information they are reading is from a credible source or if it is current, up-to-date information. Why is checking your source a big deal? Because anyone - even your next door neighbor who knows nothing about health and wellness - could post health information on the Internet. Just because you find health information on the Internet does NOT mean it's factual information. How
Read more

How to Build a Low Cost Home Gym

-
Image
So many of us wish we could get more use out of our gym memberships, but with hectic lives and unpredictable schedules, it's not always so easy. If you find it too hard to get out of your house every day for a workout, why not bring the gym to you? Creating a gym in your home can save time and money -- there's no need to own the same heavy, expensive equipment found at a standard gym. You may be surprised at how easy it is to tailor a home gym to fit you personal needs. All you need are a few tangible pieces and a motivational vibe! Below are five necessities to start building your home gym. Atmosphere: Think about what you like most about the gym and figure out how to bring some of that atmosphere to your own space. If natural light is a must have for you, find a space upstairs with great windows to create the look you want. If you like to watch TV while you sweat, set up your gym in a room that has screen access. Need a little visual motivation? Try something simple like
Read more

Tips from Mental Health America: Look Around, Look Within: Your surroundings say a lot about your mental health

-
Image
  Take a moment to consider your surroundings. Do you feel safe? Do you have access to health care and grocery stores? Does your home support you, both physically and mentally? This Mental Health Month, challenge yourself to look at your world and how different factors can affect your mental health. Where a person is born, lives, learns, works, plays, and gathers, as well as their economic stability and social connections, are part of what is called “social determinants of health” (SDOH). The more these factors work in your favor means you are more likely to have better mental well-being. However, when it seems like the world is working against you, your mental health can suffer. While many parts of your environment can be out of your control, there are steps you can take to change your space and protect your well-being. • Work toward securing safe and stable housing: This can be challenging due to finances, age, and other reasons, but there are a few things you can try, such as reachi
Read more

Welcoa Well Balanced: How to Protect and Maintain Eye Health

-
Image
When it comes to eye health many adults mistakenly believe that as long as nothing is bothering their eyes, there’s no need to get them checked out. However, getting regular eye exams is very important, even if you think your vision is fine. Eye exams allow an eye care professional to monitor your eyes for common vision problems and signs of disease. There aren’t early warning signs for the most common eye diseases, so by identifying diseases early, you have the best treatment options and the best chance of preserving good vision. If you haven’t had an eye exam in more than a year or at all, schedule one now. A comprehensive exam will often include eye dilation. After checking your vision sharpness, your doctor will place drops in your eyes to dilate (widen) the dark center of your eyes, called the pupil. This allows more light into your eyes, just like opening a door lets light into a dark room. The doctor can then examine the inside of your eyes. Your eye doctor will tal
Read more

Quarter 1 ends in 3 days!

-
Image
Have you checked to see if your points are in?! The quarter ends on a weekend this time, so you have today and tomorrow to finish logging your activities. Now's a great time to make sure you've maximized the categories because Double Points may help you reach your goal! Here are some reminders: You can earn 50 points for watching a media video once per month. You can log preventive care appointments and vaccines under My Care Checklist (found under the Health tab) You can backtrack Healthy Habits and Challenges by clicking the gray back arrow  You can earn 200 points for creating a personal challenge and 100 for joining a personal challenge Click Home --> Rewards --> and scroll down to Participation to log events, nutrition planning, and additional health visits You can log a LiveWell event (Stop, Drop and Move or Let's Do Lunch, etc) for 400 points three times each quarter for a total of 1200 points.  You can log a work skills class or finance webinar (Empower, CAP
Read more

Are you Balanced??

-
Image
Have you ever wondered if you need to improve your balance? There are a variety of simple tests you can do to see how you measure up to National Standards! For the Stork Balance Test: Remove your shoes and place the hands on the hips, then position the non-supporting foot against the inside knee of the supporting leg. Take one minute to practice. Raise your heel to balance on the ball of your foot. The stopwatch is started as the heel is raised from the floor. The stopwatch is stopped if any of the follow occur: the hands come off the hips the supporting foot swivels or moves (hops) in any direction the non-supporting foot loses contact with the knee. the heel of the supporting foot touches the floor. For the Balance Beam Test:  You will have 30 seconds to walk the entire length of the beam/curb (approximately 4 inches wide and 20 feet long) and back. Start at one end, step up onto the beam, walk the length to the other end, make a 180 degree turn and return back to
Read more