By now it’s likely that the importance of getting enough sleephas been beaten into your brain. This is obviously not up for debate as you can more than likely recall a few sleep deprived afternoons in a vivid fashion. Let’s take a look at the world of napping and how they can benefit our lives and training. But not just any nap . . . . . The Power Nap. Babies and elderly people are great at napping but might this skill be beneficial to all age groups?

These days most people divide their 24 hours into the “sleeping portion” and the “awake portion” and this has worked great for a very long time. The problem is many are increasing their awake portion of the day and have tipped the balance towards sleep deprivation. Taking a nap won’t make up for low quality night-time sleeping, but a 20-30 minute nap can help improve your mood, alertness, and performance. Shorter naps work best for reaping these benefits as any longer will usually leave you feeling groggy and sluggish.

Aside from time, another key factor for optimal naps will be your environment: a room with a comfortable climate and minimal lighting will do wonderfully. You also want to reduce the amount of external noise. Napping is also a fantastic way to save your hard earned money. Instead of buying expensive drink at Starbucks or Red Bulls why not get some energy the old fashioned way?

On the research end of things, NASA performed a study looking at the effects that a 40 minute nap had on pilots and astronauts and found that performance went up by 34% while alertness rose by 100%. You may not need to navigate a shuttle around the solar system but why not use a nap to prosper in your office or next competition? D Wade loves naps.