5 key points and 4 taboos of taking a nap

According to a survey, only about 30% of people have the habit of taking regular naps, and among these people, 80% have their nap quality greatly reduced due to improper sleeping posture and excessive sleep time; more than half of them think that naps are dispensable and only take them perfunctorily when they are too sleepy. A scientific and effective nap is a good way to recharge your health. Don’t let your nap turn into a “mistaken sleep”.

Five tips for taking a nap:

1. Don’t eat greasy food or eat too much before going to bed

Greasy food will increase blood viscosity, aggravate coronary artery disease, and increase the burden on gastric digestion.

2. It is not advisable to lie down and take a nap immediately after lunch.

After lunch, a large amount of blood flows to the stomach, blood pressure drops, and the brain's oxygen and nutrition supply decreases significantly, which can easily cause insufficient blood supply to the brain. Generally, you should rest for more than ten minutes after eating before taking a nap.

3. The sleeping position should be head high and feet low, lying on the right side

This reduces stress on your heart and prevents snoring. It should be noted that sleeping in a sitting position or at a desk will reduce blood supply to the head, causing a series of symptoms of cerebral ischemia and hypoxia such as dizziness, blurred vision, fatigue, etc. after waking up. Some people use their hands as pillows and take a nap on the table. This will put pressure on the eyeballs and easily induce eye diseases over time. In addition, lying on the table will compress the chest, affect breathing, blood circulation and nerve conduction, and cause numbness and tingling in the arms and hands.

Because muscles relax, capillaries dilate, and sweat pores open after falling asleep, you are more susceptible to colds or other diseases, so you should also be careful to avoid colds.

After a nap, stand up slowly and drink a glass of water to replenish blood volume and dilute blood viscosity. Do not engage in complex or dangerous work immediately, as waking up often makes people feel dazed.

Four nap taboos:

Avoid taking a nap as long as possible

The appropriate nap time is half an hour to one hour. If you sleep too much, you will enter a deep sleep and feel very uncomfortable when you wake up.

Second, avoid taking naps at random times

You should not take a nap just by lying down in the corridor, under the shade of a tree, on the grass, or on the concrete floor. You should also not take a nap in a draft or in a windy place. Because the body's temperature regulation center function declines during sleep, severe cases may catch a cold, while mild cases may feel unwell after waking up.

Avoid taking naps while sitting or lying down

Due to limited living conditions, many people sit or lie on the edge of the table to take a nap, and form a habit of sitting or lying down for a nap over a long period of time, which is extremely detrimental to their health.

4. Don’t think everyone needs a nap

Not everyone needs a nap. As long as you are in good health and get enough sleep at night, skipping a nap will generally not affect your health. However, a nap is very necessary for those who do mental work, college, middle and primary school students, the frail and sick or the elderly.