The value of short naps

The value of short naps

Brief planned naps can be effective. A controlled rest period can improve overall daytime mental (17) ________ and concentration, making it useful for people with demanding schedules, including parents, shift workers and senior multinational company (18) ________ who travel frequently. However, timing and practice are both required to (19) ________ benefits. This can prevent (20) ________ on waking. For most adults, effective short naps usually last around twenty minutes; entering light sleep quickly requires regular practice, but gradually becomes (21) ________ easy with a routine. At first, simply resting quietly may be more important than sleeping; avoid a micro-nap whenever you cannot reliably resume demanding work safely and promptly afterwards without lingering grogginess at the (22) ________ time. Finally, carefully planned napping should never be confused with persistent drowsiness that can (23) ________ substantial daytime fatigue and may partly explain the increasingly understandable (24) ________ felt by someone trying to compensate for a chronically poor sleep routine.