I love a good nap. Honestly, it’s the best
part of my day. I feel that energy slump in the afternoon, and I know what time
it is, it’s Nap Time!
In Traditional Chinese Medicine this is
called ‘Baby Yin time’. After midday, as we head towards the night, the energy
of the day becomes a bit slower, more relaxed, and more nourishing. This is
coming into Yin time, where we do more restful activities, sleep, hang out a
little more, consolidate our resources and spend our time wisely.
The energy of the morning is Yang; it is
vibrant, bright, full of energy, we should be well rested from a good night’s
sleep and a good breakfast, we do our most active work here.
So after your active, productive morning, it’s
time for a good lunch at 1pm, something cooked and wholesome. Then it’s Baby
Yin time baby. And you know what time that is, it’s sleep time. While lunch is
digesting, this is when it’s important to ‘rest and digest’ let your digestive
system work on those nutrients you have just taken in, ready to support you
through the rest of the day.
Why is a nap important? an Acupuncture perspective
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is
important to not ‘power through’ the afternoon. This wastes our Yin energies.
These are our reserves and can be burnt up quickly if we do not value rest as
much as productivity and action. Yin-Deficiency can present itself with
symptoms such as general dryness (skin, excessive thirst), insomnia,
tiredness/exhaustion, dizziness, and later hot flashes. Yin is further wasted
by excessive consumption of Yang substances such as coffee and alcohol.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine helps to bring Yin and Yang back
into balance.
Cultivating the perfect nap
Ideally your afternoon nap would be max
15mins long. Any longer than that and you enter REM sleep and wake with what is
called ‘sleep inertia’, meaning you will be groggy, cranky and seriously in
need of a kick-starter like coffee, as well as interfering with your night-time
sleep. I find 10-15 minutes perfect. It lets my mind relax for just long enough
that I feel rested and ready for the afternoon. It's also a good habit to sleep at the same time everyday, for the same length.
Science says
Research supports the idea that a little
nappy nap is good for you:
-a 2002 Harvard study suggests that a daily
nap reduces the risk of dying of heart disease by up to 30%!
-much research is available on power naps
and productivity. A 10 minute sleep in the afternoon has been proven to
increase alertness, attention to detail, and productivity back to the levels of
the morning.
-a nap is better than coffee in terms of
alertness. Caffeine makes you feel more wired, but more likely to make mistakes
and produce faults of memory. A short sleep just keeps you fresh.
My last thought of the day…wouldn’t the
world be a better place if every afternoon, as a planet, we all took our
blankies, lay down on a nice soft bed, and took care of our Baby Yin :)
Helena Nyssen
Ba. Applied Science (TCM)
Dip. Remedial Massage
Helena is a registered Chinese Medicine
Practitioner, and Remedial Massage Therapist at Journey Healthcare at Norwest,
Castle Hill.
To find out more about Journey Healthcare
visit www.journeyhealthcare.com.au
To find out more about Acupuncture visit www.journeyhealthcare.com.au/services/acupuncture
To find out more about services in Castle
Hill, Norwest, Bella Vista, Kellyville, Glenwood, Stanhope Gardens, Baulkham
Hills, Quakers Hill and Rouse Hill visit http://www.journeyhealthcare.com.au/contact/locations/norwest
