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The Benefits of Napping

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Many European and tropical countries have afternoon siestas because of the extreme heat, but also because they recognize the benefits of taking a few hours to rest after eating lunch each day. Elsewhere, those who are found napping at their desks are likely to be seen as not meeting job expectations.

Are there benefits to a brief afternoon nap? Well, at a point in time when more and more people are “sleep deprived” due to stressful lives and long hours at their jobs, the concept may very well be a good one. And nappers could find themselves in very good company – Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy and Thomas Edison were all habitual nappers.

We are one of the few mammals who have two distinct wake/sleep cycles each day. Most mammals nap on and off throughout the day - just take a look at your pet cat or dog!

Your body’s circadian rhythms control many of your body’s natural processes, such as heartbeat and breathing. You generally feel a normal circadian plunge in energy around 2:00 – 4:00 pm each day. Dr. Martin Moode-Ede, CEO of Circadian Technologies Inc, a Massachusetts firm that specializes in managing fatigue, recommends a 10 - 20 minute nap to relieve the tiredness that results from this energy dip.

Many employees feel healthier, happier and more productive after a brief power nap and some companies are actually setting up “napping rooms” to encourage a mid-afternoon break, complete with beds, reclining chairs, pillows, blankets, alarm clocks and clean linens!

Will this benefit catch on? Many companies are hesitant to introduce the idea of acceptable napping. Those who realize that their workers are more irritable, make more errors and are less creative when they are tired are far more open to the concept. Hopefully, it is an idea whose time will come!

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Dr. Erica Asks some important questions of interest to North Houston residents - Chiropractor North Houston Dr. Erica Asks...

What's the difference between sick care and health care?
Sick care is largely about relieving or suppressing symptoms. Health care is about improving performance. While sick care is about how you feel, health care is about how you function. Sick care is what you do to treat an obvious problem, and health care is what you do to avoid the problem and advance your well-being.
What is the purpose of pain?
Pain prompts many North Houston folks to begin chiropractic care. But pain isn't the problem! Pain is just how your body alerts you that a limit has been reached (or exceeded), that something isn't working right and that some type of change is needed. As a chiropractor, my job is finding the underlying cause and recommending the changes needed to bring your body back into balance.