The next time your boss takes you to task for napping on the job, tell him or her you are just trying to improve your job performance. It’s official, taking an afternoon nap is good for you and may even make you brainier.

You don’t even need to sleep for long, just a few minutes will work wonders for your memory, focus and concentration. It seems that the mere act of nodding off is what counts rather than the duration of the nap.
A new study by German researchers and published in the medical journal New Scientist will be music to the ears of office workers – who have always sung the praise of power napping anyway.

Also, previous studies have shown that the brain is more active in people who nap than in those who do not sleep during the day. 

But don’t take the news as an excuse to sleep away the entire afternoon; naps are only beneficial when they do not last longer than 20 minutes. A study from Harvard Medical School of nearly 24,000 people found that those who regularly took afternoon naps were nearly 40 percent less likely to die from heart disease than non-nappers. 

It has long been thought that humans need long periods of uninterrupted sleep – refreshing stage four deep sleep to feel truly refreshed – but now it seems that much of sleep’s functional aspects are accomplished at its very beginning. Sleep experts are playing with the idea that memory processing may be triggered at the onset of sleep – while the deeper sleep we slip into at night may be important for core functions. Only then is it crucial that you sleep uninterrupted.

So the next time you feel like nodding off in the office, on a train journey, or after the lunchtime news, just tell yourself and your boss if you have one that you are doing it to improve your afternoon performance. Now you have the evidence to prove it!

Q: I’m going through the menopause and after being a sound sleeper all my life am now tossing and turning for hours. Any tips?

A: Sleeping problems are common during the menopausal years. They can be caused by feelings of volcanic heat, arctic chills, and powerful surges of emotion. Some women sleep restlessly, wake early, go for a walk, and need a nap later. Others feel so tense when they lie down they can’t seem to drift off, and wake achey and irritated.

 

Women who have normal levels of oestrogen fall asleep easier than women who don’t and spend time in the deep dream stage of sleep and they also wake more refreshed when they wake up. Dreaming is important for feelings of rest and renewal. You can still sleep without oestrogen but you tend to wake up feeling less refreshed. Before rushing to your doctor for a pack of sleeping pills try the following tried and tested self help remedies:

 

To increase your chances of a good night’s sleep you need to programme your body clock. Create a bedtime routine, going to bed at the same time every night. Read, listen to taped music, and then go to sleep. Keep a note pad by your bed if you do find it hard to nod off as creativity can often surface in the midnight hours.

 

Big dinners will make you feel sleepy but they also prolong digestion, which interferes with a good night’s sleep. It’s best to eat your biggest meal before mid afternoon and have a light evening meal.

 

Dishes seasoned with garlic, chillies, cayenne, or other hot spices can cause nagging heartburn or indigestion and cause problems sleeping. Avoid spicy foods at dinner. Gas-forming foods and hurried eating also cause abdominal discomfort, which in turn interferes with sound sleep. Limit your intake of gas-forming foods to the morning hours, and thoroughly chew food to avoid gulping air.

 

An amino acid called tryptophan, found in soya and peanuts, helps the brain produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you relax. Try drinking some soy milk or eat a slice of whole meal toast with peanut butter before bedtime. Plus, the warmth may temporarily increase your body temperature and the subsequent drop may hasten sleep.

 

Avoid caffeine. Even small amounts of caffeine can affect your sleep. Try eliminating all caffeine-containing beverages. If you feel and sleep better after two weeks of being caffeine-free, then avoid caffeine permanently. You can try adding back one or two cups after the two-week trial, but cut back if sleep problems reappear. (A warm herbal tea such as chamomile can soothe and relax you and makes you feel full, which might help facilitate sleep.)

 

As for alcohol it might make you sleepy at first, but in the end you’ll sleep less soundly and wake up feeling exhausted. Alcohol suppresses a phase of sleeping called REM (rapid eye movement) during which most of your dreaming occurs. Less REM is associated with more night awakenings and restless sleep.

 

A warm beverage at bedtime can often help and try also to avoid large meals in the evening and eat your evening meal early, before 7 pm if possible. Avoid alcohol and caffeine and vigorous exercise in the evening; although gentle stretching or a relaxing walk can improve your chances of a good night’s sleep.

 

Lavender essential oil and blossoms are classics for aiding sleep. Try using a little lavender sleep pillow. Put a tiny one in your pocket during the day. Or put a few drops of the essential oil on a cotton ball or handkerchief and tuck it into your pillow. You may find a lavender bath before bedtime relaxing. Add a handful of dried flowers, or a few drops of essential oil with an emulsifier. A couple of drops rubbed between the palms, then cupped over the nose for several minutes provide an excellent inhalation. Breathe deeply.

 

Oat straw has been found in research studies to relieve fatigue and weakness, particularly when there is an emotional component. By soothing the nervous system, it can help make sleep more restful. It’s considered a cooling and nourishing herb that eases night sweats, anxiety, and headaches. One cup of infusion before bedtime, or sleeping on an oat-hull pillow may lead to restorative sleep.

 

Nettle tea nourishes the adrenals and may result in fewer sleep disruptions. Try using one cup or more four times a week. St. John’s Wort, one dropperful in a cup of fresh hops or lemon balm tea, is also a gentle helper for sleep. Passionflower is an old remedy for nervous insomnia and hysteria, restlessness and headaches. Use 15-60 drops of the fresh flowering plant tincture before bed to relieve ongoing sleeplessness.

Valerian root has been used for centuries to induce sleep and it can be helpful. Other herbs that have a sedative effect include passion flower, catnip and chamomile. Experiment until you find what works best for you.

You probably already know how important healthy eating and keeping active are for your health and wellbeing but two out of three doesn’t get you there!  Research has also shown how important a good night’s sleep is for good health. To maximise your chances of good health and performing at your peak both personally and professionally you need to sleep well.

The benefits of good sleeping habits are more than just old wives tales – they’re well documented. Deep, optimal sleep has been proven to provide countless benefits to daily life – including a strengthened immune system, increased memory, a trimmer waist line and improved reaction time.

 

Good sleep helps you look and feel better:

 

People who have less than five hours sleep a night tend to have more physical ailments, such as headaches and stomachs upsets and also undergo changes in metabolism similar to those occurring with normal ageing. Small wonder many of us look worse for wear after a poor night’s sleep! You can spend a fortune on anti-aging skin creams, but you need to sleep well to have healthy, glowing skin. When you’re fast asleep, the body goes into repair mode and regenerates skin, blood and brain cells, as well as muscles.

 

It boosts your immune system

 

There is a clear connection between good sleep and disease. For example, when deep sleep is interrupted it affects the body’s metabolism and reduces its ability to convert sugar into energy, heightening the risk of diabetes according to a recent study reported in the Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found that just three nights of disrupted sleep can have the same effect on the body’s ability to control blood sugar levels as putting on more than a stone in weight.

 

Other research shows that those who sleep five hours or less a night are twice as likely to suffer from hypertension (high blood pressure) and heart disease as those who sleep for seven hours or more. Sleeping better may also help you fight off infection. People who don’t sleep well often have raised levels of stress hormones and a decrease in immune function.

 

In short, people who sleep well live longer.

 

Good sleep helps you lose weight

 

People who are sleep deprived have an increased appetite. Inadequate sleep also lowers levels of leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite, and grehlin, a hormone that increases food intake and is thought to play a role in long-term regulation of body weight. Sleep deprivation lowers the levels of leptin and raises levels of grehlin. All this suggests that sleep deprivation can make weight loss extremely difficult because it causes your body to work against you!

 

Quality sleep isn’t a cure all and of course you have to combine it with healthy eating and regular exercise but quality sleep may have more to do with successful weight loss and weight management than any of us ever thought possible. So before you blame that diet programme for failing, look into your sleep habits and aim for a good night’s sleep.

 

Good sleep makes you smarter

 

Lack of sleep can have effects similar to those brought on by too much alcohol. Those with sleep deprivation suffer from reduced concentration, memory loss and are more likely to make mistakes and have a slower reaction time. The performance of someone who has been awake for 17 hours straight is about the same as if she had a blood alcohol level of 50mg/100ml of blood (two drinks in an hour)

 

And night owls beware! A recent study by Harvard Medical School found that people who slept after learning and practising a new task remembered more about it the following day than people who stayed up all night learning the same thing. Better sleep means better concentration and better decision-making.

 

It’ll make you a nicer person

 

The most potent effects of sleep deprivation are on behaviour. Lack of sleep will make you cranky, aggressive, forgetful and unsociable. Taken to extremes, severe sleep deprivation causes depression, disorientation and paranoia.

 

Simply put, there is just no substitute for the benefits of sleep. It makes you look and feel healthier, happier, sexier – even thinner! But there’s no need to overdo it. Doctors discovered that just like having that second slice of cake, oversleeping – and long lie ins at the weekends – may do more harm than good as they upset your biological clock giving you symptoms of jet lag without the holiday. So stick to the recommended 7 – 8 hours; get up at roughly the same time each day – even at weekends – and if you feel that you need to catch up on sleep go to bed earlier rather than sleeping in.

 

How to sleep well:

 

• Quantity and quality are very important: Most adults need between 7.5 to 8.5 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
• Keep regular hours. Try to go to bed at the same time and get up at the same time every day. Getting up at the same time is most important.
• Day light: Bright light in the morning at a regular time should help you feel sleepy at the same time every night.
• Stay away from stimulants like caffeine: Avoid all stimulants in the evening, including chocolate, caffeinated soft drinks and caffeinated teas and coffee.
• Avoid bright light around the house before bed: Using dimmer switches in living rooms and bathrooms before bed can be helpful.
• Exercise: Thirty minutes exercise during the day can help you sleep better but avoid exercise near bedtime.
• Bedtime routines are helpful for good sleep. Keep routines on your normal schedule. A cup of herbal tea, like camomile, an hour before bed can begin the routine.
• Keep your bedroom at a comfortable temperature: Not too warm and not too cold. Cooler is better than warmer.
• Keep the room restful: A quiet, dark, cool environment sends signals to your brain that it is time to wind down.
• Know that the night cap has a price: Alcohol may help you to get to sleep but it will cause you to wake up throughout the night.
• Invest in a good bed: If your bed or mattress is uncomfortable or more than ten years old it may need replacing.
• Snoring partners: If your partner snores encourage them to sleep in another position or experiment with nasal strips and other snoring remedies. If this doesn’t work consider wearing ear plugs or sleeping in a separate room.