Is it dangerous if I don't ever sleep at night and only do power naps?
If I'm correct, power naps are only 10-30min long naps?So, to answer this question I'll have to look at the different types of sleep cycles. I also dont know how often you take these naps. But in general, yes. It's completely fine to be taking only “power naps” so long as you take them regularly.Theres the Uberman cycle- which is a 20-30 min nap every 6 hoursThe Everyman Cycle- typically it's a 3 hour nap and then a 20-30 minute nap every little while until it adds up until 6 hours (tho I'm doing this from memory so dont quote me on the 6 hour part)The Daymaxion cycle- this is about a 30 minute nap every 6 hours.And the Siesta Cycle- so sleep about 4 hours a night then a 1 1/2 hour nap around noon.The effects are different for each but they're all generally healthy sleeping patterns. So, pick your poison. Power naps are okay so long as you are staying healthy.
Can I sleep 6 hours with a 30 minute power nap midday? I have so many obligations. Revise for exams, gym, swimming, college,work and going out with friends. I need more that 16 hours.
Well, 6 hours isn’t ideal. (The health issues for adults who sleep 6 hours or less per night, for years, are quite bad.) If you’re in your teens, it’s suggested you need 9 1/4 hours of sleep. Very hard to get when you have a normal schedule of ‘too much’, I know. And I agree that everyone needs a social life, it’s actually good for you.So, here’s a few thoughts. Try to get your sleep time up to 7 hours (7.5 ideal)…and be really clever about how you save time in your day…to make that extra hour up. Every little bit helps.Nap to revive yourself in the afternoon. Midday is too early. 2–3pm is better…and 30 minutes is good.As another answerer said, try to make your wake / sleep times as regular as possible…BUT…make it consistent on the weekends too! Resist the temptation to sleep in…it mucks up your sleep cycle and chemical processes that prep you for sleep. (Also know that if you are in your teens, your melatonin production is delayed up to three hours…so you won’t feel sleepy for about 2 hours later than you used to…it’s a natural occurrence, and you can’t do anything about it. But again, you can plan/allow for it in your schedule.)Try and get a good dose of morning sunlight as early as possible, ie: 20 minute walk/ride in the sunshine…it will ‘set’ your body clock and put in motion the countdown for your feeling sleepy.Exercise is great. And helps with sleep. Do everything you can to relax before sleeping too. Aromatherapy. Hot baths. Etc. If you are reading texts before bed, it’s better to use a book, than online (computer light will keep you up). And its better to have a soft yellow light to read by, not a bright LED light or halogen…these will also keep you up. And, never ever, ever, ever, ever, etc, use your cell phone once in bed. Ten minutes or more of its light can turn off melatonin production. You don’t want that.The main thing is, try everything, and keep what works for you, your social needs and study style. Just make sure you get ‘quality’ sleep when you get it. It will keep you healthy, and academically better off!
How do I prevent oversleeping at power naps?
I will answer in points with effectiveness of each point increasing downwards.1. Set an alarm with the alarm tone of an exuberant song (pick any of your choice, can be the one which you listen to in the gym).2. Drink coffee about 2 hours before taking a power nap.3. Keep your phone real far from your bed, where you can't reach it.4. Use an app called alarmy, it has a feature of turning off the alarm by taking a preset picture. Set the picture of somewhere in the bathroom where you can immediately wash your face. One thing to notice here you have to control yourself from switching off your phone and the app will do it's work.5. And remember if all else fails, there's MOM.All the best waking up.
Should you take a nap during the day? Makes me sleep less at night..?
Napping sure does feel good! You can take that from an avid napper who slept every day from 3-5 PM but slept just as well at night...back then! For about 5 years now I've not been able to nap. Why? Not because I don't want to but because I have trouble sleeping at night if I do and awaken in the morning feeling as though I never slept at all. I spoke to my doctor about it and his advice was to stop napping altogether. He cautioned me that it would take a while for my 'body clock' to adjust to not taking those warm and cosy naps during the day. I was impatient but in the end it worked as he said it would. I was told that anything, absolutely anything that disturbs your nightly sleep pattern is never a good thing. Your body goes through several stages at night that are advantageous to a healthy body and mind and it requires those stages in order to keep everything working as it should. BTW, naps do nothing to increase the growth hormone you speak of and faster recovery from an illness, injury and exercise is better served through a good night's rest and a deeper lasting sleep. Check out what Boston University and the NSF (National Sleep Foundation) have to say on the subject. I would opt not to nap because I know it works. You'll find yourself not requiring a nap at all when your body clock comes back into a normal regimen. Good luck!
Nightmares/Bad dreams in the first 20 minutes of sleep? Is that normal?
Hi. you are having Sleep Paralysis. I am going to give you a foremost sleep expert's site to refer to, but first off it is proven that these happen most often in the period of dropping off to sleep, moving into REM, and coming out of REM. The first 20 minutes of sleep are a highly likely time to have it. Moreover, another aspect of REM that is not well publicized is that if you are tired, or sleep deprived, you can go right into REM within minutes. Your brain needs to "make it up". It's pretty common for Sleep Paralysis to occur when you are tired as well. In almost 100% of the cases, the dreamer is laying on his or her back (a supine position). To quote directly from the website of Dr. Cheyne: "Sleep paralysis is a condition in which someone, most often lying in a supine position, about to drop off to sleep, or just upon waking from sleep realizes that s/he is unable to move, or speak, or cry out. This may last a few seconds or several moments, occasionally longer." "People frequently report feeling a "presence" that is often described as malevolent, threatening, or evil. An intense sense of dread and terror is very common. On some occasions the presence may attack, strangling and exerting crushing pressure on the chest" Don't worry about it, it's a common experience! Cheers and pleasant dreams in the future. :-)
Does taking a nap everyday affect your health?
It's good for you. your making me tired just thinking of it! :0 Thomas Edison hardly slept at all, except in 20-minute naps. Mark Twain was noted for his insomnia, but was always dozing off at public functions. So what's the relationship or the secret between 40-winks of nap-time and a person's creativity? Scientists have proven in recent years that the human body requires only as much sleep as the brain will allow it. In other words, so long as the brain is functioning at full capacity, there's no great requirement for sleep. The big thing is that the brain needs a rest every now and then, and apparently, the brain can refresh itself and go on "like with a full tank of gas" with just a short, 20-minute nap. Regardless of all the relaxation techniques that are popular today, sleep is still the most refreshing and healthful relaxation of all to most people. Even so, the quick 40-winks between appointments or meetings can refresh and rejuvenate almost anyone as much as 8-hours of sleep.
Afternoon nap good or bad?how much time should i sleep?
I have this habit me sleeping in noon,no matter what i get so sleepy in noon,so i take a nap of two hours,is that bad? How much time should i sleep in noon?is it okay if i sleep right after lunch?i dont do that just asking,sometimes dinner gets late so i sleep right after that, and is it true that after a meal you should not sit and take a walk,or belly fat increases?
Do naps count towards the overall amount of sleep you get a day?
This is a tough question. It really depends exactly how long you're napping for.Look at this picture:The most restorative parts of sleep are stages 3,4 and REM. People say you should hit 8 hours a night because that leaves you with an adequate amount of time spent in those 3 important stages.The thing is, when you take time out of your day for a short nap you're not really reaching those deep states of sleep. A nap that goes for 30 minutes will only push you through to stage 2 if you're not sleep deprived. That's good for alertness, but we need more than stages 1/2 for healthy sleep.What does all this mean? I wouldn't count short naps as part of my hours. I think they're one of the best ways to restore yourself, but the quality you get just isn't the same.A 90 minute nap is quite long, I'd be more inclined to include it in my hours.If you look at the picture again, you'll see that 90 minutes will push you into some quality nap time. What happens though, is that you've got to cut out the ~14 minutes you actually take to fall asleep... as well as the ~15 minutes of sleep inertia you've just hit yourself with when you wake up. A 90 minute nap is never 90 minutes. On top of that, the sleep quality you'll get in a nap is probably not that great- the room is lighter, the temperature is a bit warmer.... not optimal sleep conditions all in all.Conclusion? Longer naps count, but they're cumbersome in your timetable and probably more effort than they're worth. Count them if you really think the quality is up to par with your nightly sleeps.Short naps don't count, but they're more fun. Do the bulk of your sleeping at night, and use the short naps as a refresher.