In daily life, many people have the habit of taking a nap, and for some, if they don’t sleep in the afternoon, they certainly won’t be able to accomplish much in the evening. This highlights the importance of this short sleep in people’s lives. However, if you are one of the many who commit these 5 common mistakes during your nap, it’s time to change your habits!
Things to Avoid When Taking a Nap
1. Eating Too Much Before Napping
Although the saying goes: “Eat for yourself in the morning, eat for others at noon, and eat for your enemies at night,” many people believe that lunch should be filling to have enough energy for the afternoon. However, eating too much before a nap is not advisable!
Eating too much before napping is not advisable.
This is because feeling full increases the burden on your digestive system. Moreover, when you go to sleep right after a meal, your stomach is still full of food, causing a large amount of blood to flow to the stomach, which lowers blood pressure and significantly reduces oxygen and nutrients in the brain. Sleeping immediately can deprive the brain of sufficient blood supply.
Therefore, the best approach is to rest for at least ten minutes (or until your hunger pangs subside) after lunch before taking a nap. In reality, many people still make this mistake.
2. Going to Sleep Immediately After Eating
After eating, our stomach and intestines are in the process of digesting food. If we go to sleep right after eating, the digestive process will be disrupted, increasing the burden on the stomach and intestines and potentially causing significant harm to the stomach lining.
The digestion process typically takes 30-60 minutes. If you sleep immediately, you might unintentionally cause some damage to your body. Thus, you should wait about 15-20 minutes after eating before napping.
3. Napping for Too Long
Whether you are an office worker or someone who frequently engages in physically demanding activities, resting and napping in the afternoon certainly benefits your health.
As mentioned earlier, a nap is considered a short sleep, so just a brief rest can effectively reduce physical fatigue and provide a relatively balanced state for the body’s hormones, replenishing energy for the afternoon work.
However, if the nap lasts too long, it can have the opposite effect, making you feel more tired and sluggish, and the brain will take longer to return the body to its normal equilibrium. Generally, you should only nap for about half an hour.
4. Wearing a Tight Belt While Napping
For many people, especially women, appearance is always important. To fit into a favorite pair of pants or to show off a slim waist, they might accept wearing a tight belt.
However, it is important to note that when we wear a belt too tightly while napping, it can restrict blood flow and even lead to sciatica. Therefore, we should avoid wearing a tight belt during naptime.
5. Sleeping While Sitting
Sleeping while sitting can increase blood volume and relatively slow down blood circulation in the body.
Many office workers have become accustomed to napping while sitting. This inadvertently slows the heart rate when you sleep sitting up, increasing blood volume and relatively slowing down blood circulation in the body. It can cause dizziness and blurred vision upon waking. Older adults and those with poor heart function should be particularly cautious.
Additionally, many people have the habit of resting their heads on the desk while sleeping, which is not advisable. If this habit occurs frequently, it can easily lead to symptoms such as dizziness and vertigo. Prolonged instances of this can cause spinal deformities and stiffness in the cervical spine…
What is the Best Duration for a Nap?
Some data indicates that different durations of napping can yield varying recovery effects for the body.
A study published in the American journal “Sleep” showed that people who nap for about 10 minutes have the best alertness, and this effect can be felt for 2 to 2.5 hours after waking up. This duration is especially suitable for those who do not nap for long, as it can quickly restore energy to the body.
NASA scientists discovered that a 24-minute nap can improve work performance by 24% and enhance mental sensitivity by 54%, providing certain benefits in slowing the heart rate and protecting the heart.
So, how long is a good nap for most people?
A complete sleep cycle lasts about 90 minutes, including 5 stages: falling asleep, light sleep, deep sleep, very deep sleep, and rapid eye movement (REM). People usually feel refreshed after waking up from light sleep. Combined with sleep cycles, for most people, napping should be maintained at 15 to 30 minutes.
Who Should Avoid Napping?
People Who Often Suffer from Insomnia
For those who are prone to insomnia at night, napping during the day should be avoided, as it may exacerbate nighttime sleep difficulties.
People with Low Blood Pressure
Napping can lower blood pressure. Individuals with low blood pressure may find their symptoms worsened and could experience issues such as shortness of breath, headaches, and dizziness.
People with Blood Circulation Disorders
After lunch, a large amount of blood will concentrate in the stomach for digestion, reducing the amount of oxygen supplied to the brain, which can easily lead to dizziness.
People Over 65 and Those Who Are Obese
For these individuals, napping can increase blood viscosity and may lead to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular accidents.
