Hello beautiful souls,
This is June Bee and welcome to a power nap.
Thanks for being here for another in the series of power naps with June Bee.
Today we only have limited time,
90 minutes to be precise,
And need to take a quick 90 minute nap.
So let's begin.
Get into your best relaxing position,
Making sure you are comfortable.
Close your eyes,
Relax your muscles,
And slowly imagine yourself melting into the bed.
Now let's go to your breathing,
Slowing down the heart rate,
And let's take some nourishing breaths together.
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Breathe in,
Breathe out,
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Last time,
Breathe in,
Breathe out.
Settle in now,
Get comfortable.
Let go of everything that happened today and let's relax together.
Let yourself focus on my voice.
If your mind wanders it's okay,
Bring it back to the sound of my voice.
Keep your breathing slow and steady.
Let's gently drift off for this nourishing 90 minute nap.
You can set your own alarm and I'll also let you know when it's time to get up.
So what are the benefits of a 90 minute nap?
Naps can be particularly beneficial for shift workers who struggle to get enough sleep and have to be alert at irregular times.
A short daytime snooze may also boost workplace performance.
A nap can improve cognitive functions such as memory,
Logical reasoning,
And the ability to complete complex tasks.
Some studies have found that physical performance can also improve after napping.
Athletes may also experience improved endurance,
Faster reaction times,
And increased cognitive performance if they take a daytime nap.
Taking a 90 minute nap can help increase your motor skills and memory.
This quick rest nap can also improve focus.
Did you know anything longer than 90 minutes can cause you to enter a deep sleep state,
Leaving you groggy and more tired than before you took your nap?
However,
Up to 90 minutes is recommended to allow your brain to go through all the stages of the sleep cycle and avoid grogginess upon waking.
A 90 minute nap can also significantly boost one's creativity.
Because the nap is a full sleep cycle,
Waking up should become much easier.
Some researchers tout that the most ideal nap is the 90 minute nap.
Why?
90 minutes is the length of one full sleep cycle,
Which includes all the light and deep REM and dreaming stages of sleep.
A full sleep cycle nap improves procedural and emotional memory,
For example,
For playing instruments and while driving.
Where is the best place to take a nap?
To take a good and refreshing nap,
A good sleep environment is needed.
Ideally,
It is cool,
Quiet and dark.
Having a comfortable nap setting can help prevent unwanted interruptions or awakenings.
For people who work from home,
A bedroom is likely a good place for a short snooze,
Since it is already set up to promote sleep.
Adding back out curtains or a white noise machine to block out any distractions may help both at night and during daytime naps.
Also,
Listening to offerings like this are excellent for getting you into that beautifully relaxed state.
Lastly,
Let's talk a little about the final sleep cycle.
Stage 4.
Stage 4 REM sleep.
The hallmark of REM sleep is in its name,
Rapid eye movement.
In this fourth sleep stage,
Your brain activity revs up so much that it looks like it's awake on brain scans.
Your heart rate,
Blood pressure and breathing pick up again too.
While your eyes dart back and forth during REM sleep,
Your brain's activity most clearly resembles its activity during waking hours.
Your muscles and body are temporarily paralyzed,
A good thing as it prevents you from acting out your dreams.
REM sleep begins roughly 90 minutes after falling asleep,
Although for some it can begin earlier.
Your brain lights up with activity.
Your body is relaxed and immobilized.
Your breathing is faster and irregular.
Your eyes move rapidly.
You dream.
When sleep periods last several hours,
The body cycles through these stages several times.
During a nap though,
There is not enough time to go through multiple sleep cycles.
In fact,
During a short nap,
A person may not be asleep long enough to spend much,
If any,
Time in stage 3 or REM sleep.
This can actually make it easier to wake up refreshed from a quick nap.
Longer naps,
Such as those lasting more than 30 minutes,
Can cause the sleeper to enter deep sleep.
And deep sleep may start even sooner in people who are sleep deprived.
So are you drifting off now,
Listening to my voice?
Can you feel yourself floating into a nourishing bath of joy,
Peace,
Comfort,
Bliss?
Let go now and I'll be back after you have replenished yourself.
Welcome back.
Our power nap is over.
As you open your eyes and gently come back to the room,
Let's give thanks for this time together.
Have yourself a great day and looking forward to seeing you again soon for another in the series of Power Naps with June B.
Goodbye.
