February 24, 2009
Sleep Disorders are Helped by Power Napping
Neurologists treating sleep disorders and sleep apnea have determined that most people need 7 -8 hours sleep a night. Studies of patients with sleep disorders have proven that taking a power nap around 1:00 – 2:00 in the afternoon can minimize the effects of sleep deficits caused by sleep apnea. The recommended nap is only 20-40 minutes long. Longer than that can cause excessive drowsiness.
Filed under Sleep Disorders by Dr. Allen
Comments on Sleep Disorders are Helped by Power Napping »
The power nap in the middle of the day, an interesting subject! I was employed at Sandia National Labs for many years. They had very liberal policies regarding your work schedule for staff members. Basically, as long as you got your hours in they weren't too concerned when you did it. This enabled a slot for a power nap in the early afternoon. Another staff member mentioned to me that he had started this practice and was amazed at how refreshed he was after wards. being open minded I thought I'd give it a try.
My result turned out a little different than his. After the nap I was dead tired. It took me at least an hour to completely wake up again. Even after I was fully awake, I felt sluggish and lacked energy. I guess the bottom line is that we are all different. If it works for you, great. But if you are like me, someone who takes a long time to wake up and get in gear, perhaps it's not for you.