Health benefits of a nap are beneficial to the body. Taking a 30-minute nap every day can reduce the incidence of coronary heart disease by 30%. Napping can lower the risk of coronary heart disease. If conditions allow, lying down for a nap is the best option. However, if lying down is not possible, many people may choose to nap on a desk, unaware that napping at a desk can be harmful instead of beneficial.
Napping on a desk can affect blood circulation in the body. Once the body enters a sleep state, the heart rate gradually slows down, and the speed of blood flow through the tissues also slows down. The amount of blood flowing into the brain also decreases compared to normal. After lunch, more blood needs to flow into the stomach to aid digestion. If one naps on a desk, it can worsen the cerebral ischemia, causing temporary "brain anemia" and symptoms such as dizziness, ringing in the ears, weak legs, and fatigue.
Napping on a desk can compress the eyeballs, causing redness and increased blood pressure in the eyes. It can even cause corneal deformation and changes in eye curvature. This is especially detrimental to people with high myopia, as napping on a desk can seriously damage their vision. When napping on a desk, the upper body needs to be propped up, increasing the curvature of the body and compressing the chest, affecting breathing and making it difficult to breathe. Napping on a desk often makes it feel difficult to breathe and inhale, which is actually caused by the inability of the chest to expand. Regularly napping in this position can increase the burden on the heart and trigger heart disease. The posture of compressing the chest in women can also trigger breast diseases.
When napping on a desk, people tend to rest their arms or hands under their heads. These people often experience shoulder pain, numbness, and arm soreness, which may be closely related to napping with their arms as pillows. Napping on a desk naturally involves using the arms as pillows, and constantly compressing the arms in this way can affect the blood circulation and nerve conduction of the arms, causing numbness and soreness in the arms and shoulders. It may even cause chronic nerve damage, which is not easy to recover even with treatment and can lead to lifelong complications.
In fact, besides lying on a bed, napping can also be done by lying on a chair, with the head "resting" on the back of the chair, which is even better.
Tips:
Although napping has many benefits for the body, there are also some taboos that should be avoided as much as possible. It has always been believed that everyone should take a nap, but in fact, not everyone needs to. As long as the body is healthy and has sufficient sleep at night, not napping generally does not affect physical health. However, for those engaged in mental work, students of all ages, the weak and sickly, or the elderly, napping is essential.
After lunch, it is not advisable to nap immediately because the stomach is still full of undigested food. Napping immediately after eating can cause a feeling of bloating. The correct approach is to engage in light activities after lunch, such as walking or massaging the abdomen, and then take a nap. This helps with digestion and absorption of food.
The ideal nap time is between half an hour to an hour. Sleeping too much can lead to deep sleep, and upon waking up, one may feel very uncomfortable. If this happens, it is advisable to get up and move around a bit, or wash your face with cold water and have a glass of water. The discomfort will quickly disappear.
Choosing the right place to nap is also essential. Napping should not be done casually under a tree, on the grass, in a corridor, or on the cement floor. It is also not advisable to nap in the hallway or in a drafty area. During sleep, the body's temperature regulation center function is reduced, and if exposed to cold, one may catch a cold, and even mild discomfort after waking up.
Due to limited conditions, many people sit or nap on the edge of a desk, forming a habit of sitting or lying down for a nap for a long time, which is extremely detrimental to physical health. Napping on the edge of a desk can compress the chest, affecting breathing and causing numbness in the arms. It does not achieve the goal of adjusting and resting the body.
