Many of us suffer from that feeling of overwhelming sleepiness during the midafternoon. It’s common, occurs whether you’ve eaten lunch or not, and is caused by a natural dip in alertness from about 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. So, if you find yourself fighting off sleep in the middle of the day and you’re somewhere where you can have a nap—do it.
Taking the time for a brief nap will relieve the sleepiness almost immediately and improve alertness for several hours after waking. And there are many other benefits too.
Why We Nap
People nap for lots of reasons, some of which are:
to catch up on lost sleep
in anticipation of sleep loss later on
for enjoyment, boredom or to pass the time
Napping is relatively common. In fact, about one-third of Americans take a nap in a typical day. Napping rates are greater in countries like Greece, Brazil, and Mexico that have a culture of “siestas,” which incorporates quiet time in the early afternoon when people go home for a nap. In such countries, up to 72 percent of people will nap as often as four times per week.
The Perks of Napping
Naps are not only beneficial because they make us feel less sleepy and more alert, but because they improve our cognitive functioning, reaction times, short-term memory, and mood.
