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Narrative review of hydration and selected health outcomes in the general population. The effects of napping on cognitive function in preschoolers. Association of napping with incident cardiovascular events in a prospective cohort study. Fatigue on the flight deck: The consequences of sleep loss and the benefits of napping. Napping to modulate frustration and impulsivity: A pilot study. The association between daytime napping and risk of diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies. Effects of napping on alertness, cognitive, and physical outcomes of Karate athletes.
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Napping in older people ‘at risk’ of dementia: Relationships with depression, cognition, medical burden and sleep quality. The long-term memory benefits of a daytime nap compared with cramming. Nap opportunity during the daytime affects performance and perceived exertion in 5-m shuttle run test. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Healthline has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. Research from 2011 suggests that caffeine is a tried-and-true stand-in when you need to be alert and a catnap isn’t possible. Stepping out into sunshine and fresh air for a brisk walk, or walking up and down a flight of stairs can break the afternoon monotony and revive some of your dwindling energy. In a 2019 study, researchers found that switching saturated fats and carbs for protein resulted in less daytime sleepiness. According to a 2015 study, working in bright light improves cognitive flexibility as much as a brief nap in the post-lunch slump. Studies show that staying well hydrated helps reduce fatigue, improves short-term memory, attention, and reaction times. When a nap isn’t possible and you’re nodding off at your desk, try these re-energizing tactics:
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You can’t always curl up and take a catnap during the day, especially if you’re at work or school. How to stay alert if you can’t take a nap In a 2015 study of 40 participants, the researchers found that those who had taken an afternoon nap were more tolerant of frustration and less impulsive than those who hadn’t napped. When researchers measured the amount of tension, depression, and anger the athletes felt, they found that those who took a nap reported a drop in negative emotions. Improves your moodĭaytime napping may help you recover from negative emotions.Ī recent study of 14 amateur athletes looked at the effects of nap duration on mood, physical performance, and more. The overall winner in this study: The 45-minute nap allowed for the best performance overall.
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In a recent study, researchers tested 17 male runners on a high-intensity, short-duration shuttle run task and found that runners who had taken a nap of either 25, 35, or 45 minutes outperformed those who hadn’t napped. Boosts your athletic performanceįatigue can slow even the best athletes, but, according to research, a short nap may help athletes enhance their performance. Research from 2014 has also proven that short, strategic naps are effective at stimulating alertness and improving performance among fatigued pilots. The researchers discovered that a 30-minute nap had the ability to spark alertness among the athletes and to improve their cognitive skills, too. In a recent study, researchers looked at the effects of napping on 13 male athletes after a karate training session. If you find yourself drifting into a mental fog after lunch, a short nap could perk you up and sharpen your mind. Studies found the same benefits for younger learners, too. However, the students who napped immediately after learning the material still retained the information a week later, whereas those who crammed had lost it. Researchers at Duke-NUS Medical School compared napping with cramming to see which helped students remember information they had recently learned.īoth strategies were effective for short-term memory consolidation. If you need to retain information you’ve learned, it’s a good idea to take a short nap after studying. Catnaps, or naps that last 20 to 30 minutes, are fairly well studied, and researchers have discovered a number of benefits to a short daytime snooze.
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