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Article by Infofit

Napping For Fitness Benefits

Sleeping for fitness performance

Napping is Not Only for Physical Recovery

Fitness professionals know that napping is not only physical recovery, it’s rebooting your brain. Some planning is required for your perfect nap, including how long and when.

When it comes to the art and science of napping fitness instructors say a 10 – 20-minute power nap gives you the best option.  Depending on what you want the nap to do for you, another duration might be ideal.  For a quick burst of alertness, experts say a 10-20 minute power nap is ideal for getting back in to work in a flash.

Improves Cognitive Memory Processing

To improve cognitive memory processing, a 60-minute nap may do better.  Including slow-wave sleep helps with remembering details like facts, places and faces. Some grogginess upon waking is the downside.

Taking longer than a 30 minute nap  puts you in to a deep sleep. Have you ever taken a nap and felt in worse condition than when you woke up? The reason is you are sleeping too long. That sleep stage is very difficult to get out of.

Sleep for Fitness Performance

When it comes to sleeping for fitness performance, any personal trainer will tell you that a 90-minute nap usually involves a full sleep cycle. This supports creativity, emotional and procedural memory. To avoid falling into a deep sleep, its best to sit slightly upright during your nap. Typically when waking up from REM sleep, means a minimal amount of sleep inertia.

10-20 Minute Nap is Best

A PubMed 2002 study found that napping for a short time of 5-10 minutes creates a heightened cognitive ability and alertness when compared to no nap at all. According to fitness instructor,  André Noël Potvin, a 10-20 minute nap is best for a quick recharge, or a 60-90 minute nap for a deep sleep physical rejuvenation.