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- [Presenter] Hey, Psych2Goers,
welcome back to another video.
Before we start, we would like to thank you all
for the support you've given us.
Psych2Go's mission is to make psychology and mental health
more accessible to everyone
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So, thanks again.
Now, back to the video.
Have you ever wondered why you sometimes feel worse
after taking a nap than before?
Or maybe napping during the day makes me feel more alert.
People nap all the time,
whether it's because you're coping with work,
stress from your exams,
or just because you didn't get enough sleep
from the night before.
Taking a nap can help you feel more relaxed and awake after.
But there are more to naps than you think
because taking naps can actually have
a huge amount of benefits for both your mental
and physical health.
So, here are 12 facts about naps that may just surprise you.
Number one, there are different types of nappers.
Did you know that napping is so popular
that they've created categories for different nappers?
The three types of nappers
are habitual, planned and emergency.
Habitual nappers are the people who take naps
at the same time every day.
Planned nappers, on the other hand,
plan to nap before they get tired and sleepy.
Finally, emergency nappers are those who wait
until they get so tired
that they have to stop what they're doing to nap.
Which type do you think you are?
I think I'm all of the above.
Number two,
one bad nap can throw off your entire sleep cycle.
Do you feel groggy or can't sleep at night
after you've napped during the day?
A bad nap can cause sleep inertia,
making you feel groggy and disoriented
after waking up from a nap.
It may also impact your nighttime sleep, as well.
So, you may wanna have a strict timeframe for napping,
and set up alarms if you feel like you might nap
for longer than you should.
Number three,
naps can not fully make up for lost night's sleep.
Do you think that taking naps will make up
for the amount of sleep you've lost at night?
While the math might make sense, it doesn't work that way.
And this is because napping can disrupt
your biological system
and throw off your entire sleep cycle.
Depending on how your sleep cycle works,
you might be missing on REM sleeping minutes,
which is a very important sleep stage.
Number four, naps have an ideal duration.
Have you ever felt worse after waking up from a long nap?
Scientists have actually found
that the ideal duration for naps
should be between 20 to 40 minutes.
Interestingly,
if you want to become more awake during the day,
you can combine caffeine with an ideal nap duration.
Scientists actually suggest that you drink caffeine
before taking a power nap of 20 minutes.
Since caffeine takes 20 to 30 minutes to take effect,
lining up with the moment you wake up from your nap.
Number five, your body has an ideal nap time.
Are you the type to nap
whenever you feel tired during the day?
According to the University of California, Berkeley,
the best time to nap
is right in the middle of your wake cycle,
so, eight hours after you wake up in the morning
and eight hours before you sleep at night.
So, if you woke up at 8:00 AM and went to sleep at 12:00 PM,
then, the best time to nap would be at 4:00 PM.
Are you having trouble falling asleep at the right time?
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and feel consistently refreshed in the morning?
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Now, back to the video.
Number six, naps can improve your immune system.
Do you feel sick after not sleeping enough the night before?
Sleep deprivation increases cytokines
which are molecules known for causing inflammation
and cortisol and norepinephrine,
which are known to cause stress.
However, a study in 2015
by The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
found that naps can actually have an effect
on suppressing these hormones, improving your immune system.
Number seven, naps have a positive impact on your memory.
Did you know that one of the main functions
of nighttime sleep is to consolidate your memory?
Naps can have a similar effect.
In 2010, a study in neurobiology of learning and memory
tested the effect of midday naps on memory processes
and found that those who had a daytime nap
had significantly better retention than those who did not.
So, if you have an exam or a test,
you might wanna take a nap before then.
Number eight, naps can have the same effects
as a full night's sleep for learning.
While naps can't fully replace
a full eight hours of night's sleep,
they can certainly match the effects for learning.
A 2003 study conducted in Nature Neuroscience
found that people who napped 60 to 90 minutes
after learning something
performed just as well on a test
as those who had a full night's rest.
So, if you need to learn something fast,
and can't afford eight hours of sleep,
then you may wanna take a 60 to 90-minute nap.
Number nine, naps improve alertness and performance.
A study conducted by NASA
showed that sleepy military pilots and astronauts
that had a 40-minute nap performed better by 34%
and had increased alertness by 100%.
It was also found that shorter naps
were more effective than longer naps,
with naps of 30 minutes bringing about a period
of impaired alertness.
Number 10, they can lift your mood.
Are you relaxed when you lie down for a nap?
Whether you fall asleep or not,
experts confirm that the relaxation that comes
from lying down and resting during naps
can actually boost your mood.
Research also suggests
that napping can help you regulate your emotional state,
making you better at handling frustration.
Number 11, they're good for your heart.
Do you feel better after taking a nap
when you're stressed out?
Naps can benefit your heart
because they help lower the blood pressure in your body.
A study conducted on people who had undergone mental stress
showed that 45 to 60-minute naps were extremely effective
at regulating their blood pressure.
Therefore, naps could be your best option
to recover and regulate your blood pressure.
And number 12,
naps have a positive impact on your physical health.
Whether it's your accuracy, speed,
strength or reaction time,
when done correctly, naps can have a huge positive impact
on your physical performance.
Sleeping, in general, has a restorative effect on the body.
So, combined with the effects of napping,
it can result in big improvements
in your physical health and performance.
Did any of what we've mentioned surprise you?
Let us know in the comments below.
If you found this video interesting,
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The references and studies used in this video
are added in the description below.
Thanks so much for watching and we'll see you soon.