nap

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Top Snooker Player Takes Ill-Timed Nap

Mark Williams nods off during UK Championship, goes on to lose

(Newser) - Still feeling the effects of the coronavirus, a top snooker player fell asleep in the middle of his match in one of the most prestigious events in the sport, per the AP . "My head went down and I woke up and I didn't have a clue where I...

It's True: Power Naps Boost Happiness
Searching for
Happiness?
Try Napping 
 
NEW STUDY

Searching for Happiness? Try Napping

Limit your snooze to 30 minutes or less

(Newser) - Can napping make you happier? New research out of Britain shows power napping can do exactly that. But limit those daytime siestas to a half-hour or less. After that, the positive effects cease. "Previous research has shown that naps of under 30 minutes make you more focused, productive, and...

Japan's Antidote to Overwork: 'Inemuri' Naps

But there are rules to follow

(Newser) - People who can nod off in any situation may consider a move to Japan, where public napping, so long as one follows certain rules of etiquette, is basically seen as virtuous. So reports the New York Times , which calls such napping a "subtle sign of diligence." The word...

BMW Remotely Foils Would-Be Car Thief

BMW and the cops worked in tandem to help bust Seattle suspect

(Newser) - Police blotters can be the source of tiny treasures, and one out of Seattle last week offers up a gem involving a sleepy suspect and a high-tech car. Per the Seattle Police Department's crime log, a BMW was reported stolen in the early morning hours of Nov. 27, and...

Sleepy Judge Keeps Falling Asleep During Trial

A German court had to start the whole trial over

(Newser) - A judge was apparently none too impressed by the alleged criminal exploits of a couple German ne'er-do-wells as he repeatedly fell asleep during the trial, the AP reports. The sleepy judge was part of a five-judge panel presiding over the trial of two men suspected of robbing a grocery...

Get Zzz's Anywhere With This Inflatable Hoodie

Seriously, you can doze off just about anywhere with this Kickstarter product

(Newser) - Coming up with an invention that will appeal to the masses is the goal of every creator worth his or her salt, and the folks behind the Hypnos Hoodie think they've done just that. "This is a product that a lot of people need in their daily lives,...

Spanish Mayor Makes Afternoon Nap the Law

In Ador, the siesta is mandatory (or at least strongly suggested)

(Newser) - If you're planning to visit the town of Ador, Spain, timing is everything. Get there between the hours of 2 and 5pm, and you'll find nothing open and nobody to chat with—they'll likely be snoozing by decree of the mayor. Joan Faus Vitòria has declared...

To Boost Your Memory, Take a Nap

 To Boost 
 Your Memory, 
 Take a Nap 
NEW STUDY

To Boost Your Memory, Take a Nap

Researchers find a 45- to 60-minute snooze is a big help

(Newser) - A new study supports the idea that nap time shouldn't only be for kids. Researchers in Germany found that subjects who napped for 45 to 60 minutes were five times better at a memory task than those who watched a movie instead, MarketWatch reports. The memory task involved recalling...

Key to Babies' New Memories: Naps
 Key to Babies' 
 New Memories: Naps 
NEW STUDY

Key to Babies' New Memories: Naps

Researchers find babies who napped soon after an activity remembered it better

(Newser) - It's long been thought that napping is an important part of a baby's growth—both physically and mentally. Now new research in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests that naps help babies form new memories, and that when a nap directly follows a new activity...

Napping Linked to Early Death: Study
 Napping Linked to 
 Early Death: Study 
study says

Napping Linked to Early Death: Study

But is napping the cause, or just a symptom? It's unclear

(Newser) - We all know how important it is to get enough sleep—but a new study suggests that daytime napping may actually increase your risk of an early death. Researchers looked at more than 16,000 British adults over a 13-year period, and found that those who slept for an hour...

How to Cope With Being Sleep Deprived

Ideally? Take a nap

(Newser) - If you justified sleeping until 11am today by telling yourself you needed to "catch up on your sleep," well, there's some truth to your theory. The Wall Street Journal talks to sleep expert W. Christopher Winter, who says that "nobody knows how long the horizon is,...

Long Naps Can Make Elderly People Crazy

 Long Naps Can 
 Drive Elderly 
 People Crazy 
study says

Long Naps Can Drive Elderly People Crazy

Researchers link napping to mental decline

(Newser) - So much for elderly people taking good, long naps after lunch. Those who do are more likely to suffer from mental decline, according to French researchers. They studied results from 5,000 people over age 65 and found that the 20% who napped heavily fared worse on mental ability tests,...

How Naps Can Help You Learn
 How Naps Can Help You Learn 

How Naps Can Help You Learn

New study shows a post-snooze memory boost

(Newser) - If you’re a fan of the afternoon nap, there’s no need to be ashamed—in fact, new research gives you the perfect excuse to stop reading this right now and go grab some midday shuteye. In the study, volunteers who napped for 100 minutes prior to completing a...

Spain Crowns Nap Champ at Siesta Contest

A title we'd all like to own...

(Newser) - Spain wrapped up what is believed to be its first siesta contest this weekend, and Pedro Soria Lopez, a 62-year-old Ecuadorian man, won by a snore. As funny as it is to say, it’s true: Each of 350 contestants were given 20 minutes to nap in a busy Madrid...

Why You Need a Nap at Work

 Why You Need a Nap at Work 
OPINION

Why You Need a Nap at Work

So the boss can get more out of you

(Newser) - Remember in kindergarten they used to make us take naps? Turns out your office is a lot like kindergarten, and your boss should be handing you a mat, writes Tony Schwartz at Fast Company, and here's why:
  • Memory: Subjects in a Harvard memory study who napped "sustained their performance
...

Obama Puts Kid to Sleep at Commencement
 Obama Puts Kid to Sleep 
 at Commencement 
POMP AND NAPPYTIME

Obama Puts Kid to Sleep at Commencement

Kalamazoo Central student dozes through reward for winning video

(Newser) - Barack Obama yesterday presented Kalamazoo Central High School's class of 2010 with their reward for winning his "Race to the Top" video competition: a commencement address from him. Thousands of students submitted inspiring videos about their schools; you can see Kalamazoo's over at the Huffington Post . Or cut to...

To Get Smarter, Take a Nap
 To Get Smarter, 
 Take a Nap 

To Get Smarter, Take a Nap

Sleeping for 90 minutes at midday boosts the brain's ability to learn

(Newser) - Taking a nap after lunch helps the brain "reset" and prepare to assimilate new information, researchers say. "It's as though the e-mail inbox in your hippocampus is full and, until you sleep and clear out those fact e-mails, you're not going to receive any more mail," says...

Pilots May Have Dozed Off Before Landing

Feds open investigation after plane overshoots airport by 150 miles

(Newser) - Travel regulators suspect the pilots of a Northwest Airlines flight fell asleep in the cockpit yesterday. First clue: Controllers lost contact with the plane for more than an hour as it overshot its destination by 150 miles. The jet, en route from San Diego with 147 passengers aboard, finally turned...

Need a Nap? Sleep Like a Baby
 Need a Nap? Sleep Like a Baby 

Need a Nap? Sleep Like a Baby

(Newser) - Napping is a good idea, but afternoon slumber eludes many of us. Mental Floss offers some pointers for adults who have trouble snoozing while the sun shines.
  • Don't fight it: Humans are hardwired to hit the sack twice a day.
  • The optimal nap length is 20 or 90 minutes.

Naps Boost Long-term Memory
Naps Boost Long-term Memory

Naps Boost Long-term Memory

90-minute snooze helps brain lock in events, skills

(Newser) - A daily siesta can boost long-term recall and help people learn instruments and remember decisive events, a new study says. A University of Haifa researcher taught people tapping: He showed participants a tricky rhythm, then let half sleep for an hour. Those who stayed up failed to tap better, while...

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