When You’re Feeling Drained: Take a Nap

Introduction:

There have been countless scenarios where we have worked for hours and hours at a time. Many of these sessions often require breaks to recharge our minds, but typically, we don’t utilize those breaks properly. Think of the time you were studying for a test, you’ve probably worked hard for a certain topic, but then immediately scroll through your phone and completely ignore and zone out all of the information you had just taken in. This is not a break, it’s an overload.

False Breaks:

After draining our energy, we want to spend a heavy portion of our time relaxing and recovering for the next steps in our tasks. The majority of people tend to pick up their phone and linger on social media for a set period of time. The problem is, the five minute syou gave yourself to scroll and message quickly turns into ten, then fifteen, and quickly it turns into hours. Precious time is wasted because of a simple break that may seem refreshing at first, but is secretly draining our time like a parasite. 

The main problem is the immense amount of content being consumed. It is one scenario where one may want to watch a documentary or highlights of a recent sports match, but several million teenagers and young adults scroll on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. Each scroll fills the viewer with completely different, often distinct content that lasts for a couple of seconds at a time. Over time, the scrolls add up, and people break hundreds and even thousands of scrolls per day. That is like 1000 new videos every single day! This is not a break, but rather an activity that supplements your working day.

Sleep:

Naps have slowly deteriorated over the last couple of years because of our terrible sleep schedule and our daily routines. Firstly, sleeping at twelve, one, and sometimes not even sleeping at all cause our brains to not store and recollect important information from the day. Sleep is like a filter system; It clears our bodies and helps consolidate information efficiently. The effects are not noticeable because you’re probably not getting enough sleep. Every human is different. Some people may need a couple hof ours to function normally, whereas others may need ten to twelve to survive. A couple of signs that may signify a necessity to sleep more are,

• “Frequent zone outs”

• Falling asleep within a few minutes

• Drowsiness and brain fog

• Several cups of coffee to get through the day.

• Lack of commitment

Some may be independent of one another, but for the majority, sleep causes an unprecedented amount of benefits, and limiting those hours can seriously impact our lives. 

Naps:

A nap is described as a brief and short sleep session, roughly around 20-30 minutes, of moderate sleep. You may feel you’re not completely in deep sleep, but the refreshing nature of a nap allows us to continue our day. Some benefits of naps include,

• Increases Alertness

• Increased Energy and mood

• Less need for highly caffeinated beverages

• Readiness

The positive impacts naps have on your life are astonishing. However, it is important to nap accordingly and to take a nap earlier so you do not affect your normal sleep cycle. In addition, a nap shouldn’t be forced. It should be in situations where your body and mind are exhausted, and you’ve finished important tasks, to allow you to earn a nap. Set alarms, and keep your naps under an hour because your normal sleep cycle may be affected, and you may feel drowsy post-nap for a certain period of time.

Conclusion:

Overall, the impact of sleep is profound and remarkable. It affects us in several different ways, and it is often neglected in the large scale of activities. People are too focused on other tasks, and they tend to forget the most important human trait: sleep.