According to Medical Xpress , a group of scientists led by Professor Sanae Oriyama from the Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences at Hiroshima University (Japan) advises people who have to stay up late to arrange two short naps lasting 90 minutes and 30 minutes.
Working odd hours or having to stay up all night to take care of children makes many people tired - Illustration photo from the Internet
The work is based on analysis from the nursing workforce in Japan. If they have to work the night shift, they can only sleep a maximum of 2 hours during a 16-hour workday.
Making the most of those 120 minutes to stay alert from afternoon to night is crucial to being able to do well in a task that requires staying alert.
Volunteers took part in the trial with one 120-minute nap in 2012, two 90-30 minute naps in 2014, and no sleep in 2018.
The results showed that the formula of two naps of 90 and 30 minutes is the optimal formula, especially when you don't have time to catch up on sleep during the day.
People who take advantage of this type of sleep will be able to go through 16 hours of work more alert, without feeling exhausted, minimizing disorientation or reduced productivity.
To make the most of these two naps, the team also recommends working until around 10:30 p.m., then sleeping for 90 minutes and waking up at midnight. That nap is enough to give you a period of alertness, without fatigue, lasting for several hours.
Fatigue levels start to rise again between 4am and 9am, so to optimize your performance you should sleep for another 30 minutes before 3am, which will help you stay awake for the rest of the night.
Additionally, sleeping an extra 30 minutes after finishing your shift or when you have free time the next morning will help you start the day more alert after a sleepless night.
"This result can be applied not only to people who have to work night shifts but also useful for new parents," said Professor Oriyama.
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