The Fine Art of Power Napping

What’s the big deal you say? Anybody can sleep!

Ah, but to catch a Power Nap during the day is an art! Especially if you have young kids as this At Home Dad does who rebel against that three-letter word NAP.

The Power Nap

The power nap can give you more energy, make you more alert and give you better recall. Research also finds that power napping can cut back on the carb cravings, lower blood pressure and drop risk of heart disease.

The best time for power napping is between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. when the body causes hormone changes. The best length is between 10 and 20 minutes.

**TIP: Drink a little coffee or other caffeine such as a Monster Type drink before napping; it can help wake you up 20 minutes later when it is processed by the body and kicks in.

**TIP: Quiet music that you are familiar with can also help instead of dead silence.

Research shows that you can make yourself more alert, reduce stress and improve cognitive functioning with a nap. Mid-day sleep, or a “power nap”, means more patience, less stress, increased learning, better health, better reaction time, more efficiency and many athletes find a daytime nap further increases their body’s ability to build muscle.

My Muscle Nap

However, this period may not work well for you so you have to make do when the timing presents itself. For this At Home Dad, it happens after my morning workout and my son is either in his four day a week Kid’s Club or structured and supervised playgroup during the ladies Pilates class at our clubhouse, and that would be before 11 in the AM. I know what you are thinking, a nap before lunch? It’ll never happen because I am just not tired.

The key for me is to work out and get some cardio along with a BowFlex session then settle down and take what is called a Muscle Nap. A muscle nap is up to 60 minutes long and can be useful after exercise; this can refresh the mind and body after heavy exertion. This hour or so of working out and napping truly frees my mind and body and refreshes me for what my son will bring on in the afternoons, making me a better parent.

The Worst nap I ever took is the one I never got to take!

June 29, 2008 |

Comments

4 Comments so far

Half-Past Kissin' Time June 29, 2008 11:20 pm
Tee hee. There’ll be no muscle napping for me if you have to exercise to do it! I actually had the nap you prescribed, just this afternoon, in my livingroom, when we had company! (Power went out last night, and I had to figure out the generator, etc.) After the red-eye flight the day before, I was wiped out. Now I am bright eyed and busy tailed at 12:20pm!
sjoukes, Women June 30, 2008 7:26 am
I very rarely nap..but if I am very tired I can just drop off for literally 5 or 10 minutes and I am recharged…any longer and I can’t wake up for ages and feel groggy
ourcrookedtree, Moms June 30, 2008 8:31 am
I have to have hubs read this so he stops giving me hard time for napping with Little Man…I am merely sharpening my ax!
Birdie June 30, 2008 9:00 am
Funny! I dream of napping but I’m having too much fun to miss out on the action. I stay awake til my eyes bleed…so to speak.