Now Entering Dreamland is a podcast that centers around dreams, sleep and everything in between. Sit back and relax- you’re now entering Dreamland.
Season 2; Episode 9 features a discussion about naps.*
Episode Transcript
Are you ready to wake up? You are Now Entering Dreamland.
Hi everyone! Welcome to Now Entering Dreamland. A podcast about dreams, sleep and everything in between. Welcome back to those of you who have been to Dreamland before, we’re happy to have you back and welcome to those of you joining us here in Dreamland for the first time.
It’s time for a new episode of this podcast! Today I am releasing an episode all about a topic that means a lot to me, but I never even thought about discussing it on this podcast until recently. That subject is naps. The art of napping, and napping correctly.
If you’re like me, you are someone who naps a lot. You may nap several times a week. You used to nap more frequently, but you still nap more than what might be considered “appropriate” for an adult.
But here’s the thing: I LIKE NAPS. And I’m not afraid to say it. Well, to be honest, I just really like my bed. I’m staring at my bed now- as I record this podcast- thinking about it. I just changed the sheets. It looks so comfortable…
Sorry, everyone, I was just thinking about how nice it would be to take a nap right now.
Regardless of my love for my bed, and naps, and being otherwise unproductive- I feel a great sense of shame about this part of my personality. A lot of my friends work out in their free time. They go on runs. Or work on their art. Or do the laundry. And I nap. It sounds lame.
But is it lame? I wanted to find out.
So, as I do with a lot of topics on this podcast, I decided to do some research.
And WOW is there a lot of research. I found more scientific research about naps than any other topic on this podcast. If I had known that at the outset of this project I would have made this podcast about naps. But I digress.
Are naps bad for adults? No. Naps are good for adults. But the key is moderation.
A Johns Hopkins article I read indicated that adults should keep naps around 20 to 40 minutes. Anything longer than that can cause grogginess after the nap. And wow, I can attest to this. I used to take two-hour naps in college after class and I would wake up feeling even more tired and confused.
The Johns Hopkins article also indicated that the best time to nap is between 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. because that would fit best with natural sleep cycles. Unfortunately, that time is not feasible for me, but if it is feasible for you- take a nap! No longer feel ashamed you are not working out during the day.
Naps can allow you to feel more energized during the day. “Power Naps” are aptly named because, if you nap for the correct duration for you, you should wake up refreshed. Naps also should help increase recall.
Something the article stresses is that adults need to find balance with naps. If napping during the day prevents you from falling asleep and/ or staying asleep at night, that can lead you to nap longer the next day and it creates a cycle of poor sleep.
Another thing I learned (from a different article) is that if you dream during naps, especially short naps, it can be a sign that you are very sleep-deprived. I dream during my naps all the time and I consider myself perpetually sleep-deprived.
TL;DR: Power Naps exist and can be good for you in moderation.
And that’s it for this episode of Now Entering Dreamland. You can find all of our past episodes on our website nowenteringdreamland.com. A new dream interview is being published on Sunday evening, so stay tuned for that. You can subscribe to this podcast to get the episode directly into your inbox.
You’re now leaving Dreamland. But we’ll see you next time.
*Information gathered from this episode came from this Johns Hopkins article, “Can a Nap Boost Brain Health,”: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/can-a-nap-boost-brain-health
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