A good night’s rest

From page 7A

The NBA nap

I am a huge fan of the NBA and with the finals on involving the Golden State Warriors and my favourite team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, I stumbled on an article which stated that every afternoon during the NBA season, players lie down and take a nap before their game. Players like Jeremy Lin, LeBron James and Derrick Rose swear by the power of the midday nap. The napping culture is so prevalent that league officials know better than to call players in the afternoon. In the meantime, teams like the Warriors are looking into ways to improve their sleep performance.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, a USbased non-profit organisation, a short nap of 20 to 30 minutes in the afternoon can help to improve mood, alertness and performance.

If you are not getting enough sleep throughout the day, a short nap can go a long way toward improving your athletic performance. However, napping, including the famous NBA nap, is not for everyone.

Sleep experts have determined that long daytime naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. So if you are getting to bed at a regular time each night – which is ideal – avoid napping during the day.

However, if you have to be up late, for instance, if you work nights, you should absolutely nap during the day to make up for your sleep deficit.

Make it comfortable

There is much more to sleep than plopping down on a bed somewhere and closing your eyes. If you have seen mattress commercials on television, you know that having the right one can make the world of difference when it comes to having a good night’s rest. And even if you don’t believe the commercials your body tells you the next day. If you sleep on a good mattress you are likely to wake up feeling rested. However, if your mattress is old, lumpy, too hard or too soft, you will wake up with body aches the next day if you sleep at all.

There are three other basic steps to attaining a good night’s rest. First, be sure the room is as dark as you can get it. Lights must be switched off. You should also switch off cellular phones and other electronic devices or place them in a drawer or in another room. If necessary, place dark blinds at the windows or use a sleeping mask. Second, the room must be quiet. Try to eliminate noises from outside as much as possible. Third, the room needs to be cool. Ideally, the temperature should be 68 degrees or less.

Sleep is critical for both athletes and non-athletes. It is important to get seven to nine hours of sleep. The key is to keep your sleep patterns as consistent as possible. So get off the computer and get some quality rest. It makes a difference.

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