A human body needs 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep at night, but is that enough for the body and mind to function properly? Well no. Running 24 hours a day exhausts us physically and mentally, and to recharge our batteries often, it is necessary to take frequent naps in between.
An afternoon nap can improve your mental and physical health, and it has many benefits, including improving our alertness, mood, and better memory.
Reduce health problems
Afternoon naps can also help with alertness and reduce the risk of health accidents, but they also help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease.
Manages stress and mood
Afternoon naps are also called power naps and last 20 minutes. However, longer naps may be more restorative and also cause sleep inertia or reduced nighttime sleep quality. Naps trigger the release of hormones like serotonin and dopamine, which help manage stress.

Brain health
Afternoon naps help people’s minds be fresh and more creative, and improve the brain’s ability to retain and process information. It also helps consolidate memories by transferring information from short-term storage to long-term storage.
Find the right balance.
Although napping can improve your mental and physical health, timing and duration is very important. Taking a nap of 10 to 30 minutes will help avoid sleep inertia, and it is best to sleep no more than 30 minutes, as a longer period will interfere with nighttime sleep patterns.
A study also found that sleeping between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. is the ideal time to take a nap, as it can improve cognitive functions. It has also been proven that people who can incorporate short naps into their daily routine may be happier and healthier.