Daycares do at least one thing well that the rest of us should implement into our daily routines.
Nap time is one of those things that isn't only good for us when we're under five years old. It turns out napping should remain an afternoon staple of our every day lives. Our workplaces should be implementing nap time in order to increase productivity and decrease the number of late-afternoon errors.
My attention was drawn to a story based on a NASA study published in 1994, which monitored pilots on long flights of eight to nine hours, the length of a typical work day. The pilots who were allowed to rest, took a nap of roughly 26 minutes and the study found the brief nap was "associated with improved physiological alertness and performance compared to the no-rest group."
For many people, sleep is considered a waste of time. I've heard my own mother mention she hated sleeping because it was just a waste, an entire eight hours void of any productivity, except for the numerous incredible benefits we get personally from sleeping.
So the idea of a post-lunch nap is looked at around many parts as a drain, even a 30-minute nap, known by some as a "power nap." Other studies have shown that the majority of workplace accidents occur late in the day.
We all like naps. We shouldn't be attaching such stigma to these cozy and relaxing activities. But I take one snooze at my desk, and I immediately get called into the principal's office. What gives?
Yes, boss. I have a valid reason for napping at my desk between 1:30 and 2 p.m. It will decrease my productivity in the short term, for increased long-term productivity and more excellent work. I'm thinking about the end game, here. I'm a big picture person.
In other parts of the world, it's called a siesta. This isn't an entirely foreign idea. Entire businesses and cities are shutting down for a little afternoon nap every day, especially in the summer heat. It's great for everybody.
I'm not quite saying we take after our feline friends and sleep 20 hours a day, let's just welcome with open arms the traditions instilled in us at daycare. If we're all really being honest, we know it isn't just infants who get a little cranky when they haven't had their naps. I know all kinds of people who become curmudgeons in the afternoon.
They just need their blankie and a little snooze in a quiet corner.
We can implement nap time for the betterment of everyone, improving moods, alertness at work and replenishing our brains to prepare for the second part of the day. Nap time is natural. We all want it, and we all benefit from it.
Speaking of sleep, the time we spend on shut-eye is getting a lot more attention from the world of sciences as more and more people are study why we sleep, how it helps us and how important it really is. I've even read about how we're all sleeping wrong. This whole solid block of eight hours devoted to sleeping is apparently a very new phenomenon and not necessarily how our bodies want to do it.
The industrial revolution changed everything for our sleep cycle, but apparently back in the day, before things like artificial light, we would follow the sun's example and hit the mattress when it went off to warm other parts of the globe. Then we'd wake up in the middle night and get stuff done for a few hours before going back to sleep for another four or so and then waking up to face the day.
That's how the pilgrims did it, and they probably had naps, too. Well, maybe they were more like cats than I thought they were.
