Power Nap

Power Naps can be good for your heart according to this article.

CHICAGO (AP) & New research on napping provides the perfect excuse for office slackers, finding that a little midday snooze seems to reduce risks for fatal heart problems, especially among men.

In the largest study to date on the health effects of napping, researchers tracked 23,681 healthy Greek adults for an average of about six years. Those who napped at least three times weekly for about half an hour had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart attacks or other heart problems than those who did not nap.

Most participants were in their 50s, and the strongest evidence was in working men, according to the study, which appears in Monday's issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.

The researchers said naps might benefit the heart by reducing stress, and jobs are a common source of stress.

It's likely that women reap similar benefits from napping, but not enough of them died during the study to be sure, said Dr. Dimitrios Trichopoulos, the study's senior author and a researcher at Harvard University and the University of Athens Medical School.

Heart problems killed 48 women who were studied, six of them working women, compared with 85 men, including 28 working men.

A daytime siesta has long been part of many cultures, especially those in warmer climates. Mediterranean-style eating habits featuring fruits, vegetables, beans and olive oil have been credited with contributing to relatively low rates of heart disease in those countries, but the researchers wanted to see if napping also plays a role.

"My advice is if you can (nap), do it. If you have a sofa in your office, if you can relax, do it," Trichopoulos said.

Exactly how stress is related to heart disease is uncertain. Some researchers think it might be directly involved, through unhealthy effects of stress hormones, or indirectly by causing people to exercise less, overeat or smoke.

The researchers in the latest study factored in diet, exercise, smoking and other habits that affect the heart but still found napping seemed to help.

Previous studies have had conflicting results. Some suggested napping might increase risk of death, but those mostly involved elderly people whose daytime sleepiness reflected poor health, Trichopoulos said.

His research team studied a broader range of people, ages 20 to 86, who were generally healthy when the study began.

Still, it's possible that study participants who napped "are just people who take better care of themselves," which could also benefit the heart, said Dr. Marvin Wooten, a sleep specialist at Columbia St. Mary's Hospital in Milwaukee.

"The guy ... who doesn't take time out for a siesta in their culture is probably the guy who is extremely driven and under a lot of pressure," which could increase heart risks, he said.

Siestas aren't ingrained in U.S. culture, and napping usually is equated with laziness in the high-charging corporate world, said Bill Anthony, a Boston University psychologist and co-author of "The Art of Napping at Work."

Still, some offices allow on-the-job naps, and many workers say it makes them more, not less, productive.

Yarde Metals, a metals distributing firm, built a nap room at its Southington, Conn., headquarters as part of an employee wellness program. With two leather sofas, fluffy pillows, soft lighting and an alarm clock, it's the perfect place for a quick snooze, engineer Mark Ekenbarger said.

Ekenbarger, 56, has an enlarged heart artery and said he frequently takes half-hour naps on the advice of his doctor to reduce stress.

"It really does energize me for the rest of the day," Ekenbarger said.

"It would be really encouraging if employers across the country really embraced that philosophy that napping is a good thing. It makes a big difference in my life."

Labels: nap, power nap, powernap

Maybe those all nighters are having an effect on your learning. According to this article, naps are important for learning.

WFRV) TUCSON, AZ Getting Your Infant To Eat Peas And Carrots Can Be A Chore.. But A More Daunting Task?.. Nap Time.

But New Research Shows.. That Nap May Be More Important Than You Think.

Naps For Learning/Tucson, AZ
We've Heard About The Importance Of Sleep.. But What About Naps?

Rebecca Gomez, PhD/University of Arizona
"We're Finding That Naps Are Crucial For Learning."

Psychologists At The University Of Arizona.. Are Studying The Connection Between A Quick Snooze And Learning.

Lynn Nadel, PhD/University of Arizona
"Our Goal In General Is To Sort Of Understand How Infants Learn. How They Acquire Any Knowledge Whatsoever."

Rebecca Gomez, PhD/University of Arizona
"What We Found Is That Their Learning Is Transformed With Sleep."

In Their Study.. 15-Month Olds Were Exposed To An Artificial Language That Sounds Like This.

"Vot, Balas, Rut.."

It's Nonsense To Adults.. But Doctor Rebecca Gomez.. Who Created The Language.. Says It's A Great Learning Tool For Infants.

Lynn Nadel, PhD/University of Arizona
"We Have Rules Like That In Natural Language Where We Have To Keep Track Of Information In The Beginning Of A Sentence And Information At The End."

The Babies Are Exposed To The Artificial Language During 15 Minutes Of Play Time.

Then Half Of Them Take A Nap.. The Others Don't.

Four Hours Later.. They're All Tested To See What They've Learned.

Rebecca Gomez, PhD/University of Arizona
"What We're Finding Is That Sleep Transforms The Memory In Some Way So That Infants Can Actually Recognize New Sentences."

The Infants Who Didn't Have A Nap Only Recognized The Words That Were Heard During Playtime.

Parents Are Taking These Early Results To Heart.

Autumn Haworth/Mother
"I Never Really Understood How Important Naps Were. Um, For Like The Mental Aspect Of His Learning And Growth. So Definitely I'm Gonna Try Not To Miss His Naps."

These Results Have Prompted The Doctors To Do Further Studies On The Importance Of Sleep In Learning.

Labels: pwer nap

It looks like a lot of businesses are starting to see the benefits of power naps according to this article.

WASHINGTON –– Sleeping on the job goes against the grain of American capitalism, but even US businesses are now flirting with worktime “power naps” like those taken by more laid-back colleagues abroad.

Not surprisingly, other businesses see the power nap as a money-making opportunity, to sell chairs, cocoons, pods and other devices.

Take Yarde Metals, a firm specializing in metal sales and distribution whose 640 employees work round-the-clock, many running heavy equipment like fork lifts.

Typical in such companies is a break room with vending machine snacks and coffee. But Yarde has gone one step further—equipping its headquarters in the northeastern US state of Connecticut with a “serenity suite.”

“It’s full stress management,” said spokeswoman Susan Kozikowski. “It takes the nap to the next level.”

The room’s sky-blue walls and dusky-colored ceiling and carpets leave nappers feeling like they’re floating when they recline in a chaise longue in so-called “zero-gravity” position. Soft sounds from speakers and aromatherapy relaxants enhance the mood.

“Twenty minutes on this Z-lounge is equivalent to two hours of traditional meditation and four hours of sleep,” Kozikowski said.

The company feels this is important for night workers, their health, safety and even productivity.

“We run three shifts, people of different ages, some people working more than one job, they have children. For various reasons, for health reasons, they are tired and they need a break,” she said.

A long-term study of Greek men and women published this month week in the Archives of Internal Medicine showed that 30-minute mid-day naps can dramatically reduce heart disease.