Health Desk. Sleep is very important for a healthy life. Every person should take 6-7 hours of sleep at night. But do you know that even a short nap in the afternoon is important? A study has shown that afternoon naps can bring many types of physical benefits. Every human being needs to take a nap of 10-60 minutes in the afternoon.
Studies have shown that a short afternoon nap boosts memory power for at least four hours. It also improves mood and can increase alertness. Researchers studied the mood and alertness of 32 young adults after four different sleep patterns. Naps of 10 to 60 minutes were more beneficial than staying awake. But the Singapore study found that a 30-minute nap had the best compromise between practicality and benefits.
Research was done on 32 youths
Dr Ruth Leong from the National University of Singapore said: 'After their normal amount of sleep at night, 32 young adults were subjected to four experimental situations. The first one is waking up in the afternoon, the second one is a 10-minute nap, the third one is a 30-minute nap, and the fourth one is a 60-minute nap.
The result of the study was something like this
Mood, subjective sleepiness, and cognitive performance were measured at five, 30, 60, and 240-minute intervals after waking up to compare how persistent the respective nap benefits were. The effect of these nap lengths on memory encoding was also examined. Compared to staying awake, all naps ranging from 10 to 60 minutes showed benefits. The boost in a positive mood, alertness and memory lasts up to 240 minutes after a nap. Studies suggest that even a 10-minute nap can refresh you. That's why if possible, every person should take a small nap in the afternoon.
