Why is it harmful for adults to sleep during the day? Is it really good to sleep during the day? Ways to beat midday sleepiness

Daytime naps are useful for nervous individuals, people engaged in mental work with large amounts of information, and workaholics. According to scientists, an hour of daytime sleep can replace a full night's rest. In many countries (Japan, Spain, etc.), daytime sleep is actively used even at work to improve the performance of citizens.

If you experience constant sleepiness during the day, this may indicate chronic fatigue, lack of sleep at night and the presence of various diseases (neurasthenia, vegetative-vascular dystonia, anemia, etc.). Don't be lazy to visit a doctor.

For some diseases, a person is prescribed electro-sleep. In the atmosphere of a physical therapy room, on a couch behind a screen, you will be induced to nap during the day using special electrical sensors attached to your head. Low frequency current pulses, when affecting the nervous system, cause its natural inhibition, and the person falls asleep.

Scientists estimate that sleeping during the day reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease by 35%. Also, during daytime sleep, reserves of physical strength are replenished faster and mental balance is normalized.

A short daytime nap fills the body with hormones of joy and can replace sleep, which will undoubtedly be appreciated by people seeking to lose weight. This kind of rest is also good for the brain. Nervous tension and stress caused by waking up early are relieved.

People who know how to relax during the day are more cheerful and active.

An interesting fact is that daytime dreams are more vivid and easier to remember.

What daytime hours are good for sleep?

Sleeping during the day is not only possible, but also necessary. It is not for nothing that daytime naps are used in children's institutions and sanatoriums. However, it is not recommended to go to bed for an hour or two after 16-00, when the sun is high above the horizon. The consequences of such a dream can be headache, lethargy and general malaise.

The best time for daytime sleep is the afternoon from 12-00 to 14-00. Such sleep helps digestion and energizes you for the rest of the day.

If the weather permits, you can go to bed in nature. For example, at the dacha in a sun lounger or hammock. If there is no dacha, a glazed balcony with open doors will do, provided that the yard is quiet. Sleeping in the fresh air in the shade is the best cure for depression and stress received in the metropolis.

If you're sleep-deprived or just looking for a way to relax, you might be thinking about taking a nap during the day. Meanwhile, sleeping at the wrong time of day or taking too much nap during the day can have the opposite effect. Let's figure out what the pros and cons of daytime sleep are and how to organize it correctly.

Do adults benefit from daytime naps?

Daytime naps can provide many benefits to a healthy adult, such as:

relaxation, stress relief;

rest, reduction of fatigue;

increased attentiveness

improved mood;

increased cognitive abilities, including improved reaction speed and memory.

What are the negative aspects of napping?

Daytime naps are not for everyone. Some people simply cannot sleep during the day or have difficulty sleeping in an unusual environment (the ability to sleep during the day does not always mean that they can properly lie down in their own bed). Daytime napping can also cause some unwanted effects, such as:

lethargy. When you wake up, you may feel groggy and sleep deprived;

night sleep disturbance. For most people, short naps generally have no effect on the quality of sleep at night. However, if you suffer from insomnia or have trouble sleeping at night (your sleep is interrupted and not deep enough), napping during the day can make these problems worse. Long or frequent episodes of napping during the day can have a negative impact on how you sleep at night.

When is it advisable to find time for a nap during the day?

It is worth setting aside time for a nap if you:

feel tired or sleepy;

you will soon be deprived of the opportunity to sleep properly (for example, due to a long work shift);

want to make scheduled naps part of your daily routine.

Could a suddenly increased need for naps indicate health problems?

If you feel your need for naps has increased and there is no obvious reason for this, talk to your doctor. You may be taking some medications that have a similar effect. It may also be that you need to deal with the quality of your night sleep: you want to sleep during the day because you stopped getting enough sleep at night.

What's the best way to organize your naps?

To get the most out of your nap, follow these tips.

Don't sleep long. Set a goal for yourself to sleep for 10-30 minutes. The longer the nap, the more likely you are to feel sleepy when you wake up.

Sleep in the afternoon. It is best to lie down to sleep somewhere around two and three o'clock in the afternoon. At this time, you are likely to experience your usual afternoon sleepiness or decreased alertness. Additionally, napping during these hours will have the least impact on your sleep at night. However, remember that individual factors - such as your sleep needs or daily routine - can also help determine the most appropriate time for napping in your case.

Create a calm environment. Sleep in a quiet, dark place, at a comfortable temperature and with a minimum of distractions.

After your nap, give yourself time to fully wake up before you return to vigorous activities, especially those that require quick or acute reactions.

The human body is designed in such a way that it requires both periods of wakefulness and periods of rest. During work, study, training, even simple housework and eating, all organs of the human body are actively working. The gastrointestinal tract receives and processes nutrients. In this article we will look at the question of why you can’t sleep during the day.

The cardiovascular system supplies blood to all arteries, veins and blood vessels. The lungs and bronchi supply the body with oxygen. The musculoskeletal system allows a person to move. The liver and kidneys filter and cleanse the body of waste and toxins. The brain is actively working at this time, sending signals along nerve endings to all organs.

All this happens during the day. During such intense work, all organs and systems of the human body become tired and worn out, and the immune system is weakened. In order for the human immune system to recover, it needs the hormone melatonin. This hormone is produced only at night. Therefore, you cannot stay awake at night and sleep only during the day.

Why can't you sleep during the day?

• During the day, under the influence of sunlight, the human body produces the hormone serotonin. This hormone provides a person with a good mood and a feeling of vigor. For this reason, serotonin is also called the hormone of joy.
• In order not to feel depressed, lethargic and overwhelmed, you should not sleep during the day. In addition, without serotonin, melatonin production is impossible. This process can occur in the body at night during sleep, when it is dark and the person is at rest.

What happens if you sleep during the day

Scientists from the University of Cambridge conducted experiments proving the harmful effects of the habit of sleeping during the day on the human body. It has been proven that such a habit not only leads to deterioration in health, but also leads to a significant reduction in life expectancy. Those who like to sleep during the day live about 4 years less.

A person who sleeps during the day often experiences a lack of sunlight. This leads to a decrease in the production of the hormone serotonin, weakened immunity and the development of various diseases. Lethargy, a feeling of fatigue, grumpiness, and bad mood become constant companions of such people.

Why should people over forty not sleep during the day?

The habit of sleeping during the day is especially dangerous for people who have crossed the forty-year mark. Among people in this category, the incidence of early death increases several times. In addition, older people often already have various pathologies and chronic diseases, which can be aggravated by prolonged daytime sleep.

People who have already had a stroke or are in a pre-stroke state should know that they should not sleep or nap during the day. This is dangerous because when they doze during the day, their blood pressure becomes unstable. And pressure changes, especially sudden ones, are fraught with hemorrhage in the brain.

The same danger threatens patients with diabetes. If they fall asleep during the day after lunch, their blood sugar may spike. This can lead to serious complications.

Among other things, older people often suffer from insomnia. Then they try to compensate for the “lack of sleep” at night with daytime sleep. Insomnia sufferers should not sleep during the day, as this will only worsen their problem.

Who can sleep during the day and how long?

For small children, no one has canceled the additional daytime sleep at night. A growing body needs this. Yes, and sometimes it is useful for adults, and sometimes it is simply necessary, to take a nap during the day.

It has been observed that a short nap during the day can be of great benefit. It helps relieve psychological stress and reduce the feeling of fatigue. After a short nap, your mood improves and your performance increases.

It is recommended to sleep during the day wearing a light-protective mask over your eyes to create a feeling of darkness. The duration of daytime sleep should not exceed 20 minutes. In order not to feel a feeling of weakness instead of vigor, you cannot sleep for a long time during the day.

Many people wonder if daytime naps are beneficial? Scientists have proven that taking a nap after lunch improves psychological and physical performance. All sorts of tests and experiments were carried out by specialists from different countries, during which it was possible to find out how much sleep you need during the day, when to take a siesta, and what improvements it will bring.

Let's take a closer look at what exactly naps do for us: benefit or harm. We will also learn how to properly build a rest schedule in different situations in order to restore your strength as much as possible.

To sleep or not to sleep?

Many people believe that sleeping during the day is harmful. However, this is the opinion of those people who simply do not know how to properly organize their vacation. In fact, a healthy person can sleep peacefully during the day if he feels an urgent need for it. An afternoon nap will not disrupt biorhythms if planned correctly, and it will not negatively affect your night's rest.

However, keep in mind that there are certain rules that need to be followed if the benefits of daytime sleep are important to you. It is worth resting regularly, so your body will learn to quickly “switch off” even in a noisy environment and in bright sunshine.

You need to gradually accustom yourself to short-term siestas; this may take more than one week.

Let's rest properly

Midday naps will benefit you the most if you schedule them correctly. First of all, let's find out how much sleep you need.

It is believed that the optimal time for a daytime nap is 20-30 minutes. During this period of time, a person does not sleep soundly; he does not have time to plunge into the slow-wave sleep phase and lose touch with reality. However, his strength is restored very efficiently.

After a siesta, any task will seem simple and feasible, the feeling of fatigue and lethargy will completely disappear.

To get the maximum benefit, we organize daytime sleep according to the following rules:

The benefits of rest

Some people doubt whether they can sleep during the day, and completely in vain. Daytime sleep is useful if you follow all the rules for its organization.

Daytime naps are also beneficial for the following reasons:

• during rest, tension is relieved from the muscles and nervous system;
• people who sleep for 20-30 minutes every day have a significantly higher concentration of attention;
• resting is good for memory and perception; these indicators increase noticeably among those who enjoy a lunch siesta;
• the risk of cardiovascular diseases is reduced by 37-40%;
• if you sleep at lunchtime, drowsiness in the afternoon will be eliminated;
• the desire to engage in physical labor increases;
• creativity increases;
• people can see answers to complex questions in the context of their dreams, since the brain actively works during rest, the solution to mysterious images can be found in a dream book;
• makes up for the lack of rest if you were unable to get a full night's sleep.

Harm from daytime rest

The question of why you can’t sleep during the day is relevant only for a limited circle of people. For an absolutely healthy person, the habit of resting after lunch will not cause any negative consequences. But if you do not follow the rules for organizing sleep or if you have certain diseases, it is best to rest only once a day - at night.

Let's consider in what cases it is harmful to sleep after lunch:

Sleeping at work

Now in the world there are not many companies that are ready to allow their employees to take a nap during lunch. However, the most progressive international giants, such as Google, Apple and others, are still convinced that a short day's rest significantly increases the productivity of employees and their desire to work.

People in China are most tolerant of siesta in the workplace; here it is considered normal, even if a person falls asleep during an important meeting. This indicates that the employee is very hardworking, devotes a lot of time to his work and gets very tired.

In Russia, the practice of daytime naps in workplaces is not very common. However, there are already large companies that have equipped special rest rooms for their employees. It is also common practice for employees to sleep in their own cars in the parking lot, and the bravest ones sleep in special sleep capsules that can be used even in the office.

Let's sum it up

Proper organization of daytime sleep is the key to its enormous benefits for the body. If you do not have health problems and have the opportunity to practice a short day's rest, do not miss it under any circumstances.

Scientists have proven that taking a nap for 20-30 minutes during the day will not disturb your night's sleep, but, on the contrary, will improve it. Take your vacation responsibly and try to make it complete.