Finally a Scientific Guide to Good Napping

Seems like everyone keeps telling us we need more sleep than we're getting.  Even people who get currently get eight hours a night will be healthier and feel better if they get ten hours.  But if your like me and getting 8 hours of sleep is tough to do, then let me suggest you take a quick nap.

According to an article in 'Business Insider' taking naps will not only help with that sleepy feeling in the middle of the day, but it will also improve areas of focus and alertness as well as improve memory and creativity.

Here's a guide to getting the ideal nap for your specific needs.

1.  If you just need to be more alert and focused, a 10 to 20-minute nap gives you a boost in alertness for two hours or more.

2.  If your brain isn't working and you can't think straight, a one hour nap gives you more focus and also improves memory and learning.

3.  If you need a complete reset, a 90-minute nap puts you through a full sleep cycle, which gives benefits in alertness, memory, learning, creativity, and performance.

4.  If you're not sure WHAT you need, a 10-minute nap should be the default.  It was better than five minutes, 20 minutes, or 30 minutes in a recent study.

5.  If you don't even have enough time for a nap, ANYTHING helps, even just resting your eyes for a minute.  One study found that even just THINKING about taking a nap reduces your blood pressure.

(Business Insider)