Nanna Naps

I love a good nap in the afternoon. And now that I am running my own business from home I can indulge more often. I always feel a little guilty, but there is a growing body of evidence that napping regularly is good for us.

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In a recent study of thousands of participants, it was found that those who nap regularly have larger total brain volume. As we get older, a decrease in brain volume is often a sign of later neurodegenerative disease such as dementia or Parkinson’s disease. So having a regular nap might decrease the likelihood of later abnormalities. We need to be cautious though - The naps need to be short in duration (20-40min). Needing very long naps during the day can be a sign of the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. So keep them short and if you are having long sleeps in the middle of the day, maybe see a doctor.

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It has also been shown that napping can increase cognitive function and learning. In one study, they looked at students’ retention of information either after a nap or after doing something active. Those who napped understood and remembered the information better. So bring on the Nanna naps!

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Of course, just napping in the afternoon is not enough to keep our brains healthy. We also need a good 8-10 hours of sleep at night. I’m often asked why 8-10 hours. Well, every hour we cycle through four sleep stages which are N1, N2, N3 and REM. The first three stages are believed to be involved in waste removal in which excess neurotransmitters and other chemicals that are used during wakefulness are removed, deletion of synapses or memories that are no longer needed and resynchronising or resetting the brain. The last stage is the most interesting – it’s called Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep and is believed to be the time when new memories are stored, and we rehearse what we did that day and possible ways we could have done things differently.

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The 8 hour rule is important because at the beginning of the night we spend most of our time in the early three stages with only brief periods in REM. As the night goes on, we spend more time in the last REM stage. Why is the REM stage so important? First, it is the stage when we are laying down and reinforcing our new memories from the day. So, if you are trying to learn something new then you want to spend as much time in this stage as possible. Also, we seem to lay down our memories in reverse order so the last things you did that day are consolidated first and the things you did in the morning are uploaded last. If you really want to remember something, reading through it just before you nod off is a great idea just in case you don’t get a full night sleep.???

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The REM stage is what we think of as dreaming and it’s also extremely important for innovation and creativity. During this stage, we run through what we did that day and, it is thought that we also run through thousands of scenarios of how we could have done things differently. If you had an argument with someone you might run through different ways you could have handled that situation. This is particularly important for teens as this is one way they learn empathy and emotional intelligence - by running through different ways of handling social situations and how they can react better in the future. Also, it’s an important time if you are trying to come up with a new idea or concept, as the problem you had issues with during the day will be run through your brain many times which can produce better or new solutions.

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Einstein claims his big breakthroughs came to him in dreams. And Edison is reported to have had a lounge chair, ball bearings and a large saucepan in is office. When he was having issues with a new invention, he would nap in the lounge chair with the ball bearings in his hand. When he went into REM sleep his muscles would relax, he would drop the balls into the saucepan and the loud noise would wake him and often, hey presto, he would have the answer to his problem. So the saying ‘sleep on it’ actually seems to work!

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How can we get better sleep? Scientific research shows that for good sleep: 1) Routine is important. Waking up at the same time every morning (even on the weekend) will make falling asleep easier. 2) Don’t have any devices in your bedroom. Keep your bedroom for sleeping and relaxing activities. 3) Regular exercise improves sleep quality so make sure you are getting enough. And 4) Good black out blinds so that it is really dark when you are trying to nod off.

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And lastly, did you know that during our teenage years our sleep time shifts back by about 3 hours? That means that if your child is going to sleep at 9pm when they finish primary school, they may struggle to get to sleep until midnight when they reach those important final years of high school. Then, if they have to get up early for school they are going to struggle to get those all-important 8-10 hours of sleep. Just something to keep in mind when your child starts wanting to stay up later during their younger years – it’s worth keeping bedtime early to maximise good sleep.

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Now, after all of that, I need a nap!

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A person’s most important asset is their brain!

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Interested in becoming a Brain Healthy School or a Brain Healthy Business? Email me at [email protected] to discuss ways we can help you improve learning, innovation, productivity, and mental health. A person’s most important asset is their brain!

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Check out my new book “The Connected Species: How the Evolution of the Human Brain Can Save the World” see https://rethinkingthebrain.com/books/

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#brain #productivity #parenting #sleep #brainhealth #rethinkingthebrain #theconnectedspecies