If you’re the kind of person that doesn’t nap, we’re not sure we can be friends – because naps are life. Yep, it’s basically the law to have at least one nap a week, and even then you’re living a minimalist lifestyle, devoid of one of the greatest pleasures in life. If we could have our way, we would have a nap every single day. Once just after we wake up, another in our designated nap pods at work (thanks, boss), and then another one after work to unwind after a stressful day of working/napping. However, we often struggle to nap because of all of the controversy surrounding naps… until now. Here are 6 myths about naps that we have debunked…
If you nap during the day, you won’t be able to sleep at night
If you were a true napper when you were younger, your parents would probably tell you countless times that if you napped during the day, you wouldn’t be able to sleep at night – but were they just spouting a load of nonsense to ruin your life? Well, not quite. This myth all depends on when you sleep. If you sleep before 2 pm and nap for no longer than 20 minutes, there is no reason why you shouldn’t be able to sleep later that night.
You don’t have time to nap
When you tell someone how much you nap, there’s a high chance that they’ll be astounded, and bombard you with questions as to how the heck you have time to nap. Duh, everyone does! If you think about how much time you spend scrolling through Instagram or watching countless episodes of Stranger Things, you’ll realize how much free time you really do have to squeeze in a 20 minute power nap.
You’re not a napper
There are some people who don’t have the joy of napping in their lives because in their eyes they are ‘not a napper.’ Want to know what we say to that? Psssht! According to experts, there is no difference between people who claim they are nappers and those who aren’t, apart from the fact that those who do nap give in to their bodily cues – which is actually a positive action.
Naps are for kids
Errrrr, are you sure? When you were a child, you needed naps to help your body grow and all that jazz, and although adults do not necessarily need sleep to improve their livelihood, it can be beneficial if you suffer from sleep disorders. Yep, if you suffer from insomnia or even if you didn’t get your full eight hours the night before, taking a nap will actually work in your favor.
Napping makes you less productive
Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard it all before – you nap for half an hour so you must be a lazy slob who gets absolutely no work done, right? Well, not quite. When you are feeling a mid-afternoon slump, you can often dream of having a nap but can’t do so because of societal norms. However, research suggests that napping during this slump can actually boost your productivity. Rather than sitting there with no motivation, you will wake up refreshed and ready to go.
Napping will make you even more tired
We all know that having a nap will make you feel a little groggy afterward – that’s just the way it works. However, your body just needs a few minutes to work itself out of its funk before you’ll feel as good as new again. In fact, you’ll feel even better afterward, and forget all of your feelings of tiredness. What could be better about that?
If you’re a true nap lover, there’s a high chance that you have toned down your habits because of these myths. Yet, now that we’ve debunked these myths, you can get your nap on once again!
