NSDR: A Better Alternative to Napping

Nonsleep deep rest (NSDR) has been shown to improve cognitive health.
NSDR: A Better Alternative to Napping
Miljan Zivkovic/Shutterstock
|Updated:

Ever feel mentally drained but can’t nap or don’t have time for one? There’s a way to recharge your brain without sleeping.

Yogic sleep has been used for centuries across different cultures to restore clarity and creativity and rejuvenate the mind. In ancient Greece, philosophers such as Pythagoras took time for stillness to refresh mentally. In India, yogic sleep has long been practiced for deep relaxation. Taoists in ancient China also used meditation and stillness to maintain balance.

Zena le Roux
Zena le Roux
Author
Zena le Roux is a health journalist with a master’s in investigative health journalism and a certified health and wellness coach specializing in functional nutrition. She is trained in sports nutrition, mindful eating, internal family systems, and applied polyvagal theory. She works in private practice and serves as a nutrition educator for a UK-based health school.