Taking a good night sleep or a daytime nap is very important because it can help a person with an unusual work schedule. Examples include an astronaut or a certain medical personnel. The human body operates according to an internal clock. This clock operates in relation to the Earth’s pattern of darkness at night and bright during the day. When a person’s internal clock is in sync with his or her habits, the person can most likely sleep well at night and remain alert all day. But if the person’s job makes for interrupted sleep or sleep at odd hours, the internal clock can become confused, and then the person has trouble getting enough sleep. A person should sleep about the number of hours that is recommended to his or her age group if he or she wants to sleep well. Sleep experts recommend that health workers, such as doctors and nurses take short naps on the job. When person lacks the amount of sleep they need it can greatly affect his or her productivity in work. When you are a person with an unusual work schedule, it is important to keep in mind to take a good nap and sleep well. Sleeping and napping can help a person with an unusual work schedule, but it also affects a person’s health. Sleeping primes the brain to function at a higher level. People that nap have a better long-term health than people that do not nap. In a 2007, a study by the Harvard School of Public Health discovered that people who took thirty minutes of naps at least three times a week were thirty-seven percent less likely to die of heart disease. Furthermore, the study found that even people who napped less than thirty minutes or napped only one or two times per week were twelve percent less likely to die from heart disease. In a 2011 study, researchers at Allegheny College found that napping was a factor in lowering blood pressure after mental stress. The people in the study who took a daily forty-five minute nap on average had lower blood pressure after taking a mental stress test than those who didn’t have a nap. People whose
sleep is out of sync with their body clocks (such as shift workers) or is routinely interrupted (such as caregivers or emergency responder might need to pay attention to their sleep needs to improve their health. Napping or sleeping well is a good way to live a long healthy life. Not only does sleeping and napping affect a person’s health, but it increases a person’s mental alertness and performance. After a nap, people tend to be happier and alert. They do better work and avoid mistakes. Humans are one of the few species that do most of their sleeping at night. Introducing a catnap into a person’s day may be very helpful to them. Studies show that taking a nap after learning new information may help a person remember the information better. Taking