Lack of sleep is an incredibly harmful thing for our body.
Among the negative effects are memory impairment,
Concentration issues,
A decreased sex drive,
All the way to an increased risk of heart diseases,
Type 2 diabetes and a premature death.
It takes a toll on our body to be exhausted.
Naps,
However,
Can change that.
My name is Leon Gerbelein and in this track I will teach you everything you need to know about the art of napping and the biology of sleep.
I'm going to go through the structure of our sleep cycle,
The four different types of naps and the before and after to ensure your nap is effective and you feel well after waking up.
Everything in this track is backed up by scientific studies.
Among the sources I have used are the American Heart Association,
The Mayo Clinic,
Healthline and the Sleep Foundation.
Napping helps us increase our productivity,
Regulates our mood and decreases our stress levels.
Our sleep is made up of an ever-repeating pattern known as the sleep cycle.
It's a four-stage process that lasts about 40 to 130 minutes and cycles all night from the minute you close your eyes to the moment you open them in the morning.
Stage 1,
Also known as N1,
Is the stage in which we are falling asleep.
It usually only lasts around one to seven minutes and is the only stage that does not repeat throughout the night.
We're very easily awoken during this stage.
Stage 2 or N2 is the light sleep phase.
This is where our body is preparing to fall into the deeper stages of sleep.
Our body temperature drops,
Which is why you should always have a blanket with you when you're sleeping.
Our breathing and heart rate start slowing down and our muscles begin to let go and relax.
Stage 2 usually lasts between 10 and 25 minutes.
Stage 3 or N3 is the deep sleep phase.
This and the last phase are usually the ones we try to avoid when doing a power nap.
If we get awoken in the middle of these without being able to complete our sleep cycle,
We tend to end up feeling extremely groggy and tired.
When it comes to restorative sleep and our body's ability to heal and recover,
We consider stage 3 as the most crucial.
Our muscles let go even further,
Our pulse and our breathing rate decreases.
Typically,
This is the phase where it's most difficult to wake someone up.
Stage 3 typically lasts around 20 to 40 minutes before we enter our last sleep phase,
The REM phase.
As mentioned,
Stage 4 is typically called the REM phase.
You don't enter the REM phase until you've been asleep for about 90 minutes.
Our brain activity picks up again during this phase,
Nearing the levels you usually record by someone who is awake.
That is also why this phase is the one where we typically experience the most vivid dreams.
Our brain activity takes on a very specific pattern,
Which we refer to as delta waves.
That is why it has earned the name slow wave sleep or delta sleep.
Apart from our eye and breathing muscles,
We completely paralyze the rest of our body,
Which we refer to as atonia.
The REM phase can last between 10 to 60 minutes.
Typically,
The longer we have been asleep,
The longer the REM phase becomes.
Believe it or not,
There are actually multiple different types of naps.
Typically,
We classify them between four different types.
Power naps,
Coffee naps,
Recovery naps,
And proactive naps.
I'm going to dive deeply into each one to help you identify which nap you require.
Power naps are the most well-known type of nap.
Typically,
These should be between 10 to 30 minutes to avoid entering stage 3 of the sleep cycle.
Power naps are used to relieve daytime sleepiness and to increase productivity.
Very similar to power naps are coffee naps.
These are 10 to 30 minute naps where you ingest something caffeinated beforehand,
Whether that be pills,
Food,
Or drinks,
And then sleep,
Giving the caffeine enough time to activate so that you wake up even more energized and refreshed.
Recovery and proactive naps are longer types of naps.
Recovery naps should be around 90 minutes,
Allowing you to go through the first three stages of sleep.
These are typically used to recover from a lack of sleep.
Since this nap type is quite a bit longer than a power nap,
You do tend to feel a bit groggy after waking up,
But that subsides relatively quickly.
Proactive naps are in preparation for a lack of sleep.
Whether you have to work the night shift or travel throughout the night,
This is the right nap type for you.
Proactive naps tend to be multiple hours long.
You're actively trying to sleep enough so that you don't get tired throughout the night.
The most important aspect to a successful nap is the preparation.
This includes the time,
The environment,
The seating options,
And accessories.
I'm going to go through all of these in order of importance.
The environment is by far the most important factor for having a good nap.
Some people may be able to sleep in a loud environment,
But sleeping in a quiet environment greatly improves the quality of sleep.
The best place to sleep is in your own bed,
But if that is not available,
Then your car,
An empty office room,
A quiet room at the airport or train station,
Or something of the sort would be ideal.
When it comes to power naps,
Keeping a routine and napping around the same time of day is the best way to ensure you fall asleep quickly and wake up feeling good.
The best time to nap depends on your sleep schedule.
A power nap or coffee nap should be late in your day once the afternoon tiredness kicks in after work,
However not too late for it to disrupt your sleep schedule.
Typically the most ideal time frame is around seven to nine hours after you got up in the morning.
Being able to lie back or even lay down comfortably is the best position to nap in,
Otherwise you risk getting sore muscles and put your nap quality on the line.
If there is no other option but to sit,
Then a neck pillow should be a suitable solution.
Since starting with stage two our body temperature drops,
We tend to get cold during sleep.
That is why it's especially important to have a blanket,
A jacket or anything to keep you warm when you're trying to get a positive napping experience.
Before you go lay down,
Make sure you have enough time after the nap to return to an awake state.
The longer the nap is,
The more time this is going to take.
To help reduce the time,
There are a few tips and tricks you can do.
The first one would be standing up after you wake up.
If you stay in a comfortable position,
You risk falling back asleep.
Going out to experience cold fresh air and sunlight is one of the best methods to get you awake and back on your feet quickly.
Now that you know everything you possibly could about the topic of napping,
I hope you sleep well.
I thank you for taking your time to listen to this lesson and hope to see you again soon.
