Is it good to sleep during the day? Causes of daytime fatigue. What hours of the day are good for sleep

The first thought that comes to me in the morning when I see my own half-closed eyes in the mirror is: “Today I’ll go to bed at nine o’clock in the evening!” The sleepy body calls back to the warm under-clothing world in such a way that it is very difficult not to succumb to temptation. And I give in. "Just a minute" eventually results in whole hour being late for work.

But the most interesting thing happens during the day: fatigue presses on every cell of the body and makes you look for a secluded corner to take a nap there, right in the middle of the working day! Has this happened to you?

For the time being, I thought it was not normal to want to sleep during the day. But then I found out that daytime sleep is a completely natural need. In the countries of South America, it is even customary to arrange a “quiet hour” - when, after a lunch break, employees lock themselves in their offices and just ... sleep.

American sleep expert Scott Campbell called daytime naps a healthy habit. He explains this by saying that taking a nap after dinner prompts a person to own organism, and it makes no sense to "close your ears" to these tips. If we do not listen to the inner voice and do not rest for a few minutes, our strength will quickly be exhausted.

Benefit from short sleep proven by science. Experts in the field claim that The biological clock Each of us is set up so that you need to sleep twice a day. The first is from midnight to seven in the morning, and the second is from one to three in the afternoon.

What is the nature of this need? With cold. It is during the indicated time periods that the temperature of our bodies decreases, and this does not depend on the diet and rest.

Numerous studies show that 15 minutes of short-term sleep increases physical and brain activity. After a slight "rest", the mood of both children and adults improves. A particularly useful afternoon nap for the elderly.

And yet, every medal has a downside. Some scientists explain the desire to sleep among white day laziness and having serious illnesses. So, if older men and women like to lie down after dinner, then this may be alarm bell stroke. This hypothesis is supported by studies that found that people who are in dire need of daytime sleep are two or even four times more likely to have strokes.

What explains such a paradox? It appears to be shallow superficial sleep(and this is often the daytime nap) provokes failures blood pressure. Such jumps lead to hemorrhage in the brain.

But do not be afraid, the researchers reassure. You need to sound the alarm only when you get enough sleep during the day and do not overwork, and the bed still calls you on a date during the day.

For young people, the desire to sleep during daylight hours is completely normal, if not essential. After all, it is young people who most often lack sleep at night and are in dire need of recuperation. Experts from Harvard came to the conclusion that only 60 minutes of daytime sleep can restore brain functions as well as good rest at night. To establish this fact, they involved volunteers who slept for 20 minutes before passing the test for attention and memory. Such young people showed more nice results than those who do not sleep during the day, and after 40 minutes or an hour of daytime sleep their mental capacity and even increased.

So, you and I have to determine the harmfulness and usefulness of daytime sleep for ourselves. And yet, I will say, based on personal experience: sleep when you want, because you deserve it. ;)

Many people wonder if daytime sleep is good for you. Scientists have proven that if you take a nap after dinner, then psychological and physical indicators improve. All sorts of tests and experiments were carried out by specialists from different countries, during which they managed to find out how much time to sleep during the day, when to arrange a siesta, and what improvements it will bring.

Let us consider in more detail what exactly gives us daytime sleep: benefit or harm. We will also learn how to properly build a vacation schedule in different situations in order to restore your strength to the maximum.

To sleep or not to sleep?

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

However, it must be taken into account that there certain rules, which you need to perform if the benefits of daytime sleep are important to you. It is worth resting regularly, so your body learns to quickly “turn off” even in a noisy environment and in the bright light of the sun.

You need to gradually accustom yourself to short-term siesta, perhaps it will take more than one week.

We rest properly

Midday naps will do you the most good if you organize them properly. First of all, find out how much sleep you need.

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

After a siesta, any business 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:

Benefits of rest

Some people doubt whether it is possible to sleep during the day, and completely in vain. Daytime sleep is useful if you follow all the rules of its organization.

Research carried out in different countries On volunteers, they proved that people who slept for several days in a row after dinner feel much more cheerful, their mood improves and their ability to work increases.

Daytime naps are also beneficial for the following reasons:

during rest, tension is relieved from the muscles and nervous system;
people who sleep every day for 20-30 minutes have a much higher concentration of attention;
rest is good for memory and perception, these indicators increase markedly among lovers of a lunch siesta;
37-40% reduced risk of developing cardiovascular disease;
if you sleep in the afternoon, then drowsiness in the afternoon is eliminated;
increased desire to engage in physical labor;
creativity increases;
people can see answers to difficult questions in the context of their dreams, as the brain is actively working during rest, a clue mysterious images you can see in the dream book;
the lack of rest is replenished if you could not get enough sleep at night.

Harm from daytime rest

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

Consider the cases in which it is harmful to sleep after dinner:

Sleep at work

Now in the world there are not many companies that are willing to allow their employees a lunchtime nap. However, the most progressive international giants, such as Google, Apple and others, are still convinced that a short day off significantly increases the productivity of employees and their desire to work.

The most loyal to the siesta in the workplace are in China, it is considered normal here, even if a person fell 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 sleep in the workplace is not very common. However, there are already large companies that have equipped special rest rooms for their employees. It is also practiced to sleep employees in their own cars in the parking lot, and the most courageous sleep in special sleep capsules that can be used even in the office.

Summing up

Proper organization of daytime sleep is the key to it great benefit for the body. If you have no health problems, and there is an opportunity to practice a short day's rest, do not miss it in any case.

Scientists have proven that, having taken a nap during the day for 20-30 minutes, a person will not violate his night sleep on the contrary, improve it. Treat your vacation responsibly and try to make it complete.

AT recent times more and more began to talk about how useful daytime sleep is. Medical scientists confirm that such a short rest has a positive effect on mental and physical abilities, restores the strength of the body, after which a person is again able to cope with everyday tasks. However, there are those who believe that this alone does not prove the benefits of daytime sleep. during the day, so as not to feel overwhelmed later? And is it worth it to go to bed in the middle of the day?

Daytime sleep duration

To determine whether daytime naps replenish energy, harm or benefit from additional rest in daytime days, scientists conducted tests. They were attended by people of different professions living in different countries. The results were very interesting. Although in most cases it was confirmed that it is good for health to sleep in the afternoon, there were exceptions. For example, the pilots of passenger planes after forty-five minutes of sleep felt as if they regularly lacked sleep.

Thanks to this experiment, it was possible to establish that the duration of daytime sleep plays an important role. So, in order to feel good and you need to sleep either twenty minutes or more than sixty minutes. Then either the phase deep sleep or already finished. The main thing is not to allow sleep to last longer than two hours during the daytime. Will there be any benefit or harm from such a dream? Those who slept more than two hours during the day will agree with the conclusions of physicians: emotional and physical state a person deteriorates, his reactions slow down, and his mental abilities decrease.

Benefits of daytime sleep

Daytime sleep: harm or benefit to the human body? As already mentioned, it all depends on its duration. If the day is twenty minutes, it contributes to a kind of reboot of the brain. After such a dream, mental abilities are accelerated, the body feels a surge of strength. Therefore, if there is an opportunity to relax a little during the day, you should use it. What exactly are the benefits of daytime sleep?

relieves stress;
increases productivity and attention;
improves perception and memory;
is disease prevention of cardio-vascular system;
relieves drowsiness;
increases the desire to work physically;
compensates for the lack of night sleep;
increases creativity.

Daytime sleep and weight loss

Those who watch their figure appreciate daytime sleep very much. Benefit or harm for weight loss from sleeping during the day? Of course, only benefit. After all, a dream in the afternoon enough allows the body to function properly. If a person does not get enough sleep, hormonal disruptions begin in the body, carbohydrates are no longer absorbed. And this can lead to a set excess weight and even diabetes. Daytime sleep can make up for a short night rest and contribute correct exchange substances.

It’s also good to know that short naps during the day can help lower cortisol levels. But he is responsible for the set subcutaneous fat. Yes, and a surge of strength after waking up will contribute to active sports. It all also contributes to weight loss.

Harm of daytime sleep

Can Daytime Sleep Be Harmful? Yes, if, as mentioned above, a person sleeps for more than two hours or if he wakes up when the body has entered a deep sleep phase. In this case, all human abilities will be reduced, reactions will be slowed down, and time will be wasted. If, having fallen asleep, a person did not wake up after twenty minutes, it is better to wake him up after another fifty minutes, when the phase of deep sleep and its final stage, dreams, pass. Then there will be no harm from daytime sleep.

Also, a good full day's rest can prevent you from falling asleep at night. If this happens regularly, the body can get used to being awake at night and insomnia will develop.

Fight against drowsiness

They often think about the question: “Daytime sleep: harm or benefit?” - people who struggle with drowsiness in working time. The reason for this condition is regular lack of sleep at night. But not everyone has the opportunity to lie down for a few minutes during the day. Therefore, the manifestations of hypersomnia must be fought. How? First, get enough sleep at night. Scientists say that for an adult is enough - means seven to nine hours. In addition, you can not fall asleep watching TV, argue before bed, play active games or work hard mentally.

Sleepiness will not overcome during the day if you try to wake up and go to bed at the same time, even on weekends. It is also worth falling asleep no later than ten or eleven o'clock, but not in the early evening. Otherwise, sleep will not be as effective at night and daytime sleepiness will not disappear.

What else do you need for a healthy sleep at night?

So, if you get enough sleep at night, you will not need daytime sleep. Harm or benefit to sleep proper nutrition and exercise? Of course, for any organism, regular and balanced diet and physical exercise- only for the benefit. Normal full tricks food put in order daily rhythms. Therefore, dinner should be at least three hours before bedtime.

Calmly and quickly fall asleep will also help physical education for half an hour a day. Aerobic exercises are especially beneficial for the body. AT healthy lifestyle life includes the refusal to drink alcohol before bedtime. This is due to the fact that alcohol prevents sleep from reaching deep phase and the body cannot fully relax.

It is important to understand that daytime sleep is not a whim of lazy people, but a necessity for the body. It improves general well-being, improves performance and strengthens the immune system.

In a person's life, a situation very often arises when one cannot sleep at night and during the day one feels drowsiness with fatigue. In this regard, many of us are wondering if it is possible to sleep during the day, and when will daytime sleep benefit an adult or a child? Understanding these issues is very important, as many people are forced to rest during the day after a night shift. Separately, it is worth talking about daytime sleep in children, as pediatricians strongly recommend organizing a similar rest period for babies.

The benefits of daytime sleep are undeniable

Causes of daytime fatigue

The occurrence of drowsiness and increased fatigue during the day is associated with several factors, the key of which are two: meals and starvation of the brain. It is worth dwelling on these two reasons in more detail.

Most people note the fact that daytime sleep most often occurs after a lunch meal. This is due to the fact that the process of digestion itself causes the distribution of blood flow in the body so that a large number of rushes blood to organs abdominal cavity and not to the brain. Such redistribution of blood leads to the fact that even a healthy person feels a desire to lie down and relax a little after eating. Therefore, sleeping after eating is quite natural, as this allows you to restore energy reserves very quickly. The main thing is not to overeat before such a rest.

Is it bad to sleep during the daytime? The answer is no rather than yes. Such rest is contraindicated only for people with insomnia and diseases endocrine system.

The second reason for daytime fatigue may be related to exhaustion. nutrients in the blood, which leads to starvation of the brain, and is manifested by a decrease in attention, decision-making abilities and memory. In this case, sleep during the day is not dangerous, but on the contrary can significantly help.

Based on these reasons, it is possible to determine the beneficial aspects of daytime sleep that allow a person to feel better.

What is the benefit of sleeping during the daytime?

Daytime sleepiness is a serious test for every person, while many people think that sleeping during the day is harmful and try to avoid such rest. However, sometimes napping during the daytime is necessary, as it allows the brain to recover and improve its ability to think. Benefits of naps confirmed large quantity scientific research. There are the following positive sides such a holiday.

When a person allows himself to sleep during the day, this leads to a decrease in stress levels and emotional tension. In this regard, people whose day passes with such a rest are better protected from chronic stress and show more high level life satisfaction.
During the daytime, the level of cognitive skills increases: attention and concentration improve, the speed of thinking also returns to normal. normal level. Many people refuse to sleep during the daytime part of the day due to the fact that after such a rest, they feel overwhelmed and in the first minutes are heavily involved in work. However, this is a short-term phenomenon, after which the energy level rises significantly.
The greatest effect is received by schoolchildren and students who sleep after a lunch break. Such a pause in intellectual pursuits can significantly increase the concentration of attention and the ability to think.

Daytime sleep has a positive effect on brain activity

AT scientific medicine There are a number of studies that say that sleeping during the day is good for the cardiovascular system, and that such a rest leads to the prevention of its diseases.
If a person doing creative activity sleep well during the day, it improves the connections between both hemispheres and increases the ability to find creative solutions, which is so important in painting, writing, etc.
Many people just need to sleep in given time days, because during the night it was not possible to lie down, in connection with work, rest in nightlife, while caring for a sick child. If this is not done, then the ability to think is significantly reduced, which can lead to a number of unpleasant consequences(traffic accidents, marriage at work, etc.).

As you can see, the answer to the question of whether daytime sleep is useful for people is obvious. However, this is not always the case. There are situations in which it is best to refuse such a vacation.

If a person experiences insomnia, then additional rest during daylight hours can lead to its weighting, due to the inability to quickly fall asleep the next evening.
There is evidence that patients with diseases of the endocrine system should sleep at a minimum during the day, since such rest changes the level of secretion of certain hormones and can lead to complications.

Understanding the benefits and harms of "quiet time", it is important to note that recovery during the day must be properly organized.

Each child should have a "quiet hour" when his nervous system is restored and all the information received is remembered.

What is the best way to sleep during the day?

The benefits or harms of daytime sleep are often determined by how exactly the sleeping person rested. There are a number simple recommendations, allowing you to significantly improve the quality of rest if you sleep during the day.

Basic pledge full recovery forces - the allocation of clear boundaries for this lesson during daylight hours with the fixation of a certain duration of "quiet time". The best time to go to bed is between 13:00 and 15:00.
If a person was sleeping during the day and was awakened by a phone or any other external influence, then this will also lead to the appearance of the described negative symptoms. In this regard, before going to rest, it is necessary to exclude such factors.
It is best not to overeat, as the heaviness in the stomach will not allow you to fall asleep quickly and wake up easily.

Organization of recovery in the daytime, allows you to improve its quality and prevent unpleasant symptoms arising from sudden awakening.

Following these tips will improve the quality of your recovery and ensure that your energy levels are replenished to continue work or study.

Can children sleep?

When pediatricians talk about daytime naps for children, they all adhere to the same point of view - it is not only harmless to sleep during the day, but also necessary. What are the benefits of daytime sleep for children? This “quiet time” allows kids to reset their nervous system and remember all the information received, since the amount of data received from the external environment is many times greater than the amount of data received by adults.

Children need naps during the day

Also, children are prone to rapid fatigue during vigorous activity, and therefore need additional time for their recovery. In addition, it is during the period of dreams that hormones responsible for growth begin to be released in the body, therefore, when a child sleeps, he will certainly grow, and his internal organs are being restored.

When we hear that someone is asking why we shouldn't sleep during the day, we should tell that person that not only is such rest not harmful, but it also great benefit for the body of every adult or child. However, it is very important to approach the organization of recreation with responsibility, since any external stimulus or excessive long sleep can lead to a feeling of weakness or other negative manifestations.

It is believed that daytime sleep is the lot of preschoolers. However, this assertion is completely unfounded. What's more, more doctors around the world are "prescribing" daytime sleep for adults as a means of relieving stress, recuperation, and eliminating fatigue.

So does an adult need daytime sleep or is it enough just to get enough sleep at night? If you know all the advantages and difficulties of such a dream and use them correctly, then the answer is unambiguous - Yes I need it!

Benefits of daytime sleep

Daytime sleep allows you to cheer up, restore mental clarity and energy. A short break after lunch allows you to remain equally effective throughout the day, especially during adverse weather conditions or monotonous work.

Half an hour of sleep during the daytime improves imagination, attentiveness and concentration. That is why many representatives of professions that require concentration try to lie down for a while during the day.

Scientific research recent years show that daytime sleep reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, helps to cope with incipient viral diseases and stress. In addition, a short daytime sleep supports the regeneration processes in the body, which means that while you sleep, you become younger!

To relieve muscle and psychological stress The benefits of daytime sleep are also hard to overestimate! This is a kind of reboot for the whole organism, after which all systems are debugged, especially the system neurohumoral regulation. Overcoming complex challenges, search right decision or suitable words - all this is possible in a dream, so that when you wake up, you will already know the answer to the question that occupied you.

Harm of daytime sleep

Meanwhile, many of us have verified from our own experience that sometimes after a daytime sleep you feel even more overwhelmed. What is the reason for such a reaction?

The fact is that too much sleep during the day leads to violations of the internal perception of time. The brain falls asleep too deeply and goes into deep sleep. Waking up at this time, you will feel tired, and your head will be "as if in a fog." There may also be a headache, a fall blood pressure and a general feeling of being overwhelmed.

So what is Daytime sleep - good or bad?

Exists a few rules, which will allow you to take full advantage of the benefits of daytime sleep for adults.

Go to bed from 12 to 15 hours, no more than 50-60 minutes.
Sleep in the coolest place in the room. If possible, open the window. Fresh air Helps you fall asleep faster and improves the quality of your sleep.
It is very important to properly tune in to the fact that the dream will be short. It is best if it takes place in a place different from the night bed. Take a comfortable position, think about something good, or turn on soothing, relaxing music.
Try not to overeat before bed.
Set an alarm for 40 minutes, but when you wake up, do not jump up immediately, but lie down for a few more minutes, gently stretching. Such a leisurely transition from sleep to wakefulness will further enhance the benefits of daytime sleep.
If you work in the office and your lunch break is 1 hour long, use half that time for naps. To do this, sit comfortably in your seat, lean on the table, rest your head on your folded hands and move back a little in the chair so that your back takes almost horizontal position. In this position, all your muscles will be relaxed enough to have time to rest.
Young mommies can arrange a "quiet hour" with their child. A short break in the middle of the day will allow a tired woman to recuperate, reduce the effects of stress and routine.
If your lifestyle does not allow you to build daytime sleep into your daily routine, then use for it weekend. Even one daytime nap a week brings enormous benefits to an adult!

What to do if you can't sleep?

Daytime sleep for adults is a matter of habit. In order to learn how to fall asleep easily and also wake up easily after dinner, you will need some time.

Create yourself a short laying ritual, similar to evening, but shorter. It can be 2 actions that will become a kind of signal for the body. They should always be the same and go in the same order.

Here is an approximate list of those actions that are usually included in daily ritual laying. All of them take less than 5 minutes of time, but with regular use they help to quickly and efficiently fall asleep.

Washing with warm water.
Self-massage of the fingers, base of the neck and ears.
A glass of warm (not hot) tea, drunk in small sips.
Soothing melodies, songs and lullabies - for example, as on the disc of Natalia Faustova.
Inhalation essential oil lavender or mint, 1-2 drops of which can be applied to a handkerchief and carried with you.
Soft warm bandage covering the eyes.
A special "envelope" where you can put your feet freed from shoes.

If you're still not sure if you need a nap, try napping in the afternoon at least 3 times a week. You will be surprised how fresh and rested you will feel afterwards!