Napping could be the key to fighting stress, according to a prestigious medical journal. It should also be noted that it is important to know the correct way to nap in order to take advantage of all its benefits.
Researchers from Allergheny College in Pennsylvania (USA) show that a daily nap of at least 45 minutes lowers the blood pressure of those who have suffered a stressful day with a lot of psychological tension.
Benefits of napping
As stated in the latest issue of the International Journal of Behavioral Medicine , long working hours, shift work, television and the Internet are affecting the quality of sleep , to the point that citizens sleep an average of almost two hours a day less than half a century ago. This affects long-term health and, in fact, there are studies that link poor sleep with an increased risk of hypertension and cardiovascular problems.
To try to reduce this impact, researchers Ryan Brindle and Sarah Conklin looked at whether napping might influence cardiovascular recovery after a mental stress test. To do this, they selected 85 healthy university students who were divided into two groups, so that some of the participants were assigned one hour a day in which they could sleep for at least 60 minutes. At the same time, the students completed questionnaires to assess the quality of sleep and know their daily activity, while their blood pressure and heart rate were also measured.
Napping can combat stress
In this way, they observed that the nap seemed to have a restorative effect on the students since, although in all of them blood pressure and heart rate increased during the beginning of their day, those who napped showed a decrease in both markers. These results were most evident when the students slept between 45 and 60 minutes a day.
According to the researchers, ” the findings suggest that napping can accelerate cardiovascular recovery after a mentally stressful situation .”
Undoubtedly, the rest that can lead to a good nap , well asleep and with all its details, can be translated into an investment in our physical and mental health, we must give ourselves these gifts that can benefit our health so much.