Experimenting with daily naps for a week resulted in my worst decision yet.
In a bid to boost productivity and combat afternoon slumps, one individual decided to embark on a week-long experiment, napping every day during their work-from-home routine. However, the results were not as expected.
On the first day, the individual managed to get about 15 minutes of light sleep, but felt a little groggy upon waking. Despite this, they remained productive for the rest of the day. However, things took a turn on the second day when the individual experienced extreme nausea, drowsiness, and a lingering feeling of discomfort after waking up from their nap. This was followed by a need for more coffee on the second and third days, unlike on the first day.
On Days 2 and 3, the individual felt disgusting, although no specific details were provided about what made them feel this way. The individual napped for about an hour on the fifth day, which negatively affected their productivity. The weekend naps felt better, but the individual napped for too long on the fourth day, leading to feelings of laziness.
The individual found that napping everyday for a week made their sleep worse. They realised that they don't need to nap everyday and that reserving a 20-minute nap during their lunch break between 1 and 2pm was the optimal time. The optimal nap duration, according to the individual, is between 20-30 minutes.
The potential negative effects of napping every day mainly arise from naps that are too long or taken too late in the day, which can disrupt your circadian rhythm and interfere with nighttime sleep, potentially leading to chronic insomnia. Long naps may cause a vicious cycle of poor nighttime sleep and increased daytime sleepiness, increasing reliance on naps and possibly indicating underlying sleep disorders like narcolepsy.
Excessive daytime napping cannot compensate for chronic sleep deprivation. While naps can provide temporary alertness, they may contribute to building up "sleep debt" if they replace adequate nighttime sleep. This cycle can impair overall sleep health and daytime functioning.
The individual followed a 4-step checklist for having the perfect nap, but they won't try napping everyday again. They might work for some people, but the individual has found that napping is best viewed as an occasional weekend 'treat' rather than a daily habit.
References:
- American Sleep Association. (2021). Daytime Sleepiness. [online] Available at: https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep-topics/daytime-sleepiness/
- National Sleep Foundation. (2020). Sleep Debt: What It Is and How to Pay It Off. [online] Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/sleep-debt-what-it-and-how-pay-it-off
- National Sleep Foundation. (2020). The Benefits of Napping. [online] Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/benefits-napping
- National Sleep Foundation. (2020). How to Nap. [online] Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/how-nap
- National Sleep Foundation. (2020). The Risks of Napping. [online] Available at: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/risks-napping
In the realm of health-and-wellness and home-and-garden lifestyle, an individual discovered that napping every day, despite initially boosting productivity, led to unexpected consequences such as extreme nausea, drowsiness, and discomfort after waking. Long naps and napping too late in the day can disrupt sleep cycles, potentially leading to chronic insomnia and a vicious cycle of poor sleep and increased daytime sleepiness. Therefore, napping should be viewed as an occasional treat rather than a daily habit to maintain good sleep health and daytime functioning.
