Why power naps are so beneficial for your health

According to the American Sleep Association, power naps are the most beneficial type of nap for most adults. What exactly is a power nap and how can you benefit from it?

What is a power nap?

A power nap is a nap that's short, so less than 30 minutes long. It’s a very effective way to refresh your mind whenever you feel tired and sluggish. Power naps provide your body and brain with the restorative benefits of sleep as it enhances your cognitive abilities and alertness, without adversely affecting the ability to fall asleep at night.

The key to power naps is in the length: power naps shouldn’t exceed these 30 minutes. Any longer naps than thirty to forty minutes- just don’t do it. Why? Because the body enters the deep sleep stage around that time, and waking up from a deep sleep can lead to grogginess or drowsiness. So don’t go into longer naps, unless you have a full sleep cycle of ninety minutes to spare.

The benefits of a power nap

Power napping is actually pretty magical. It can help you feel more relaxed and more refreshed, it reduces fatigue and increases alertness, and it improves your mood, your reaction time, and your memory function (source: Mayo Clinic).

Power napping can also boost your immune system and reduce stress. A small study found that short, 30-minute naps had stress relieving and immune benefits. Another study showed that power naps may keep your heart healthy. Participants who took power naps once or twice a week had a lower risk of cardiovascular events.

Even NASA conducted research into power naps. They saw that after a 25-minute power nap, astronauts were more alert than without a nap, for more than two hours after the nap. This study has led to power naps now being a standard part of the astronauts’ program.

So, in case you thought you were wasting time when taking a midday break: think again. The benefits are real. It actually makes you more productive - so always give in to the feeling whenever you feel like you want to close your eyes for a bit.

Power napping with moonbird

Having trouble finding your rest during the day? A short breathing break with moonbird will quickly help you doze off into a short, restorative, and refreshing nap.

Set the rhythm to sleep via the app, select the amount of time you’d like to breathe for, close your eyes, start the program, and simply drift off… Power napping has never been that easy.

Discover all the benefits of breathing with moonbird.