According neural specialist, Ms. Fiona Kerr from the University of Adelaide, an 'afternoon nap' would benefit all of us.
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The best nap is really the 15-30 minute nap. It increases alertness, memory, cognition and mood.'
'Naps are good for people because they serve as a cleaning the inbox function,' she says.
'If you have regular naps, you will store, retain and recall information faster and more effectively.
The ideal time for a power nap is midday.
Before your body starts to settle in for a full cycle of sleep, there's just enough time to file away a few things and refresh the mind for further work.
"It allows the inbox, if you like, of your real working memory - the mind that we're using all the time just sitting here thinking about things, listening - to empty," says Kerr.
"So we sort of get rid of stuff and then it allows us to be more alert and more effective and for our memory to improve a little bit."
Other benefits include improved motor function, mood and creativity.
Stress levels can go down, and in the long term it can decrease the risk of heart attack and weight gain.
Kerr says there are a number of companies already identifying the power of the nap.
"At Google, if you don't have your twenty minute nap you're asked why, because they know just how much it increases capacity and alertness."
So, recapping, Fiona Kerr advocates a 15-30 minute daily nap.
* According to Ms Kerr, this can increase alertness, memory, cognition and mood.
* She says that a nap is like 'cleaning your inbox'.
* Naps help you to store, retain and recall information faster and more effectively.
* For the beginner napper, find a quiet, dark place and minimise stimulus.
* Close your eyes and concentrate on your breathing for 20 minutes - even if you don't sleep you will feel refreshed.
* Ms Kerr describes a nap as a 'shower for the brain'.
Sweet Dreams
