Many employees are usually overworked due to long hours working in the office. Added to this is the fact that those commuting to work have to sleep for shorter hours due to traveling time. They must be able to sleep and wake up earlier than usual to catch up with the bus or train. Others driving to work have to travel earlier to avoid traffic jams, especially during rush hours. So, the number of hours of sleep is shortened.

 In my case, I usually slept for about 4 hours because of the travel time. And because I was a working mother, I still have to attend to the needs in the house such as household chores before I go to sleep. It was really exhausting commuting to and fro home to office and vice versa.

As such, most of us employees suffer loss because sometimes our work was affected.

Our work was usually processing of insurance claims that needed focus and concentration on the paperwork that was voluminous in number. As such, lunchtime was t time the best time for us to take our lunch for 30 minutes, and the other 30 minutes we spent for short naps or power naps to be able to regain our strength physically and mentally.

It was indicated by a medical expert that we need at least 10 minutes in an hour to refresh our minds and make the brain work again efficiently. I think this is true. When I was working in a company, we really devoted the remaining 30 minutes to be able to take a nap or what we call power naps to relax and refresh our minds.

Power naps also have the ability to alleviate or reduce stress especially in the workplace.

The work environment is one of the most stressful places that we can be. Every day, we experience different kinds of stressors such as:

People moving around

• Noise
• Demanding boss
• Poor lighting
• Inadequate furniture
• Erratic computers or those that were not working properly
• Others

Power naps have other health benefits aside from alleviating stress in the workplace. An article published online revealed some of them such as: ( https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/).

1. Long-term memory improvement - that is, it enhances cognition, and increases creativity. It is also good for our heart which was supported by a case study among Swiss respondents.
2. It is also beneficial to sleep or nap to reduce the "sleep debt" or the amount of sleep that people have to make up for the amount of sleep lost in a day.
3. “Mid-day sleep, or a ‘power nap’, means more patience, less stress, better reaction time, increased learning, more efficiency, and better health.” (https://www.verywellmind.com).
4. It promotes better memory recall - in the workplace, our brain is working continuously and sometimes it is overloaded with too much information that leads to forgetfulness. Taking power naps during break time helps to relax the brain and make our mind work efficiently especially when we have to recall some information quickly
5.  It increases stamina - Power naps help to regain your strength so that you can work and finish the workload in no time after a few minutes of napping.
6. It sharpens motor skills - power naps help us to use our skills in performing our job productively
7. It also regulates emotions - when there are emergency cases or an incident that could affect our emotions, then napping could make us control any emotional outburst because your mind is clear enough to tackle any bad incident that could happen even in the workplace

Types of Naps 

Surprisingly, there are different types of naps that are worth knowing and that we can practice in our everyday lives. ( https://www.sleepfoundation.org/).

• Essential Nap: When you are sick, you have a greater need for sleep. This is because your immune system mounts a response to fight infection or promote healing, and that requires extra energy. Naps taken during illness are considered essential.
• Appetitive Nap: Appetitive naps are taken for the enjoyment of napping. Napping can be relaxing and can improve your mood and energy level upon waking.
• Recovery Nap: Sleep deprivation can leave you feeling tired the following day. If you are up late or have interrupted sleep one night, you might take a recovery nap the next day to compensate for sleep loss.
• Fulfillment Nap: Children have a greater need for sleep than adults. Fulfillment naps are often scheduled into the days of infants and toddlers and can occur spontaneously in children of all ages.
• Prophylactic Nap: This type of nap is taken in preparation for sleep loss. For example, night shift workers may schedule naps before and during their shifts in order to prevent sleepiness and to stay alert while working.

Taking The Best Nap for the Day

The best naps can give us the most relaxing time of the day. There are ways to take the perfect nap for you (retrieved from the same source).

1. Set your alarm: Studies show that the best nap length for most people is about 10-20 minutes. This provides restorative sleep without drowsiness after waking. If you want to feel alert and productive after your nap, you can counter sleep inertia by limiting the amount of time you spend asleep.
2. Nap early: Napping late in the day can affect your ability to fall asleep at bedtime.
3. Set aside your worries
4. Create a sleep-friendly surrounding

Wherever you are in the office or at home, it is highly recommended to take a power nap on an ergonomic desk such as the Adjustable Standing Desk Pro Series from Flexispot.  This wonderful desk will give you enough space for you to take a power nap.  

Moreover, it has a dual-motor lifting capacity that boosts the loading capacity of up to 275 lbs. and ensures maximum stability even at the highest setting. As such, your weight while you are taking a nap is not a problem at all.

With the energy-efficient LED display, the advanced keypad has 3 memory height presets and a programmable sit/stand reminder system. You can change positions with ease and get friendly alerts when it’s time to stand. Learn more about this exciting desk now!