Lo Siento!

I was studying for my spanish quiz and totally forgot to post for today.

How to nap effectively, according to About.com:

1. Prime nap time is from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m., when your energy level dips due to a rise in the hormone melatonin at that time of day.

2. Darkness: Use a face mask or eye pillow to provide daytime darkness and make your nap more effective.

3. Not Too Late: Napping within three hours of bedtime may interfere with nighttime sleep.

4. Quiet Place: Make sure that you will not be disturbed for the duration of your nap.

5. 30-Minute Maximum: Naps longer than 30-minutes can take you into deep sleep, leaving some people groggy and more tired. Naps as short as 1 to 2 minutes could be effective for some people!

6. Set an Alarm: Set an alarm or ask someone to wake you up. Eventually you will train yourself to only sleep for the time allotted.

7. The Caffeine Nap: Some people claim that drinking coffee and then taking an immediate nap works well. The caffeine kicks in somewhere between 10 and 20 minutes, waking them up. They feel extra energy from both the nap and the coffee. Researchers in Japan found that subjects using a caffeine nap rated highest in decreased sleepiness and increased productivity when compared to subjects taking a nap and washing their face, or taking a nap and being exposed to bright lights.

“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap.”

- Carrie P. Snow

10 benefits of Power Napping

Here, Ririanproject.com, you can find the 10 benefits (and other details) of taking those quick, power naps. Those benefits are:

1. Less Stress.

2. Increased alertness and productivity.

3. Imporved memory and learning.

4. Good for the heart.

5. Increased cognitive functioning.

6. Get motivated to exercise.

7. Boost your creativity.

8. Make up for midnight tossing and turning.

9. Protect yourself from slepiness

10. Better health.

Check back Monday to see Ririan's definition of the "perfect nap".

Just thought this was funny! I definitely have been there before. Have you?

Fancy Napping device or Suffocating Pillow?

Deemed as the "OSTRICH" by it's creators, this nifty looking device provides comfortable naps in usual uncomfortable places. According the website, "OSTRICH offers a micro environment in which to take a warm and comfortable power nap at ease. It is neither a pillow nor a cushion, nor a bed, nor a garment, but a bit of each at the same time. Its soothing cave-like interior shelters and isolates our head and hands (mind, senses and body) for a few minutes, without needing to leave our desk."



This looks really awesome! I would love to have one in class. Finally we can beat those annoying desks that are uncomfortable to just sit in. Also, just imagine how awesome you would look in the back of the class passed out in this. Would the teacher interrupt your sleep or appraise your effort? To me, it would just be really funny to see someone actually using this at work or at school.



At the same time, I don't really understand how you would be able to breathe. Maybe these are just poor photos provided by the inventors but I feel like I wouldn't be able to breathe. Essentially, you're putting a cushioned bag over your head. It just doesn't seem like it would turn out very well.

Nonetheless it would be interesting to see!

GNS

Those of you who are Jersey Shore fans may understand what I am going for here.

Today's agenda: gym. nap. study.

Seriously though, a nap today is ABSOLUTELY necessary.

On a very serious note...

Death is that nap you never wake up from. A nap we'll all face one day, even if we're not tired.

RIP Daniel Chakey (1948-2012).

Unfortunately I have to attend my uncle's brother's funeral today, so I will not be posting anything else.

I would give up my life as a human to be an animal ANY DAY.
Napping all day with no other responsibilities? Yes, please!
(Source)

Have a wonderful and nap-filled weekend!

Can't wait to go home and see my sleeping beauties! (Please ignore my cat-lady-like lingo)

See you all Monday!

Remember nap time in kindergarten?

Best time of the day, in my opinion. If you don’t agree, you’re just crazy!

I was always the last one up… talk about awkward. That is, if a six-year-old even knows what awkward is. I would always nap on the way to pre-school too.

One time, they found me on the bus and I was like an hour late. I don’t know if I actually remember this or if the memory was placed there from me hearing the story so many times. I swear I remember walking in late and all-groggy eyed though.

Moral of the story: I’ve always been a napper.

Finding time to nap definitely makes you a more calm and productive person! Even if it’s only for a short-period of time afterwards.

"Homeless Man Napping" by Carlos Lorenzo (via Flickr)

I thought this was kind of a powerful napping photo, as weird as that sounds.

For the average person, a nap can't really be very happy if you're forced to take them on a park bench or random patch of grass. This kind of represents the unity that napping brings to all walks of life. Whether it is in a big and comfy bed or behind a dumpster, napping is one thing every social class, race, gender, ethnicity, etc. can do.

Even when people have lost everything, they can still enjoy the peacefulness of a nap. That's kind of taking something simple and applying to a big problem, which may seem silly to you. I thought it was really interesting. I'm sure no one sees napping as something serious, but the power behind honest photos of people napping shows us otherwise.

Watch out, here comes a rant... that turns positive at the end.

Okay, take a look at this couch:

This is the couch provided by the University that we are not allowed to replace because of fire-prevention policies. Does it look comfortable to you? No? Exactly. Not to sleep, not to nap, not even to sit on!

I wanted post about this because finding a good nap place is essential in the napping process. My bed here works awesome, but sometimes it gets old and I find myself wanting more than an in-my-bed nap. I just am really peeved about how uncomfortable this couch is. Last year, with not being used to it, the pain was so much worse. Anyone who has ever experienced one of these couches HAS to know what I am talking about.

Fed up with the uncomfortable-ness of our living room, my roommates and I found a solution!

This may look like a regular university bed, but it is not that exactly! After having two out of the five people living here leave, we rearranged some and now have a bed in our living room. This bed is equipped with two mattresses and some pretty nice sheets and blankets. As tacky as it may seem, it is actually quite genius in my opinion because now we can comfortably fall asleep in front of the TV. It provides a different feel than our typical beds while at the same time gives us something more than the old, uncomfortable couch!

Do you ever find yourself having a hard time finding a good napping place?

A nap isn’t a nap without a good, comfortable pillow. What’s better than napping with pillows that actually spell out nap in scrabble letters?
You can find them for $54 on Etsy.com

What would you do if SOPA or PIPA was passed?

Certainly you couldn't be looking at this blog right now...

The internet is an essential part of our generation's foundation; without it, where do you think we would be? Napping dedicated and millions of other blogs are taking control and asking everyone to help fight this infringement on our rights.

This will be the only time I ask to stop napping and take action!

STOP PIRACY, NOT LITERACY!

Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

A blog that relatively deals with napping, The Afternoon Nap Society: http://afternoonnapsociety.blogspot.com/2012/01/stop-sopa-stop-pipa.html

Google: https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

NOTICE: Regular posting dedicated strictly to napping will continue tomorrow. The cyber world is fighting SOPA/PIPA today, so I figured I would too.

How to Nap: Day 2

Have you ever wondered if the length of a nap impacts its effectiveness?
According to Boston.com, there are four-five stages of sleeping/napping that all have different after-nap outcomes.

1. Falling Asleep
2. Light Sleep - A short, cat-nap falls in this category. A nap in this stage can increase alertness and concentration, especially when combined with caffeine.
3/4. Deep/slow-wave Sleep - If a nap is more than 45 minutes, you begin to fall into this stage. Recovery time (getting over the grogginess) takes longer after awakening.
5. Rem Sleep - These are naps that are 90-120 minutes long and will put you through the whole sleep cycle. If taking a nap longer than 45 minutes, it's best just to go all the way to at least 90 minutes to prepare yourself for better after-nap results.

Which works for you?

How to Nap: Day 1

Boston.com released something everyone should see; the breakdown of napping.


Are we born to nap? Humans take their sleep in one dose, but most mammals separate their sleep throughout the day. Despite the fact that humans have been bunching their sleep since as long as anyone can remember, the biological habit of separating our sleep still exists. Our bodies are programmed to sleep in to periods, in the early morning from 2-4 a.m. and in the after from 1-3 p.m.

So if you're feeling drowsy around lunch time, it is not because of your meal choices! It is your biological self saying it is time for a nap!

8 Reasons You Should Take a Nap Today!

According to The Art of Manliness, there are 8 reasons why naps should be an everyday thing:

1. Increases Alertness - A NASA study found that a 40 minute nap increases alertness by 100%. Other studies have found that a 20 minute nap is more effective than either 200 mg of caffeine or a bout of exercise.

2. Improves learning and working memory

3. Prevents burnout and reverses information overload

4. Hightens your senses and creativity

5. Improves your health - A study done with Greeks found that those that took a 30 minute nap at least three times a week had 37% less risk of dying from a heart-related condition.

6. Improves Mood

7. Saves Money

8. It's awesome.

Napping is awesome and saves you time and money!
Check out the full article HERE!

Have you napped today?

Introduction.. Welcome to Happily Napping!

Congratulations, you just found the best blog in the napping blogosphere.

This blog is dedicated to the wonderful art and absolute necessity of napping. Many don't know the benefits or rules of taking a nap, but here you'll learn! From appropriate lengths to perfect places, this blog will give you everything there is to know about napping.

Stay tuned for the semester-long (maybe longer) magical carpet ride to prove why napping is essential for all ages!