Who has the time to nap these days?  One can barely get enough sleep in one night, let alone time to catch a snooze during the day.  Scientists are saying that a short powernap of 30 minutes or less can do a world of good for you and your body.  Studies have shown that a half hour nap can improve alertness, memory and cognitive performance.  It can also improve moods and emotional stability.  If you need some new and creative ideas, a small nap during the day could do the trick.  If you are feeling fatigued and sleepy during the day, you could sneak in a quick catnap along with your lunch break which could provide immediate benefits lasting up to 3 hours or more.

Experts warn about taking naps later in the afternoon or evening because it could affect your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep throughout the night.  A longer nap over 30 minutes could cause sleep inertia or grogginess and impair your performance after waking.

Taking a nap once or twice a week can help with heart health.  A Swiss study of 3500 adults found that those who napped 1-2 times a week had 48% lower risk of cardiovascular problems.  The benefits slowly decrease with 6-7 naps a week.

Imagine if you could take a power nap during a relaxing massage.  The benefits would increase exponentially with the effects of massage on sleep (See blog about Catching ZZZ’s https://wekneadyou.com/falling-asleep-during-massage/ ).  With the benefits of massage therapy in decreasing cortisol, the stress hormone, and improving sleep, you can feel relaxed, improve your cognitive abilities, decrease heart disease risk, and increase your alertness to get you through the rest of your day.  The enhanced effects of napping during a massage are not to be dismissed.  Don’t feel bad if there is a little snoring or drooling – that is a compliment to your massage therapist who did their job with getting you relaxed.  Now you can conquer the rest of the day, so that you can conquer the night with a good night’s sleep.  Wouldn’t that feel heavenly?