INPUT ARTICLE: Article: An average sleep cycle lasts from 90 to 110 minutes, in a flux from light sleep to deep sleep. Consider the stages:  Stage 1 is the first and shallowest stage of sleep – it lasts anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Your eyes are closed, but it's easy to wake you up. You probably won't feel terribly refreshed if you nap for five minutes, but you shouldn't feel too groggy, either. Stage 2 is a slightly deeper stage of shallow sleep. Your heart rate slows, your body temperature drops, and you begin to sleep into deep sleep. This may last 5-10 minutes. Stage 3 is the "deep sleep" stage. If you're awoken during deep sleep, you will feel groggy and disoriented for a few minutes. Set an alarm for about 25 minutes from now: 20 minutes to sleep, and 5 minutes to fall asleep. A short "power nap" ends before your brain sleeps into deep or slow-wave sleep; you will wake feeling rejuvenated, and you shouldn't feel groggy. If you nap for longer than 20 minutes, you may slip into a deeper sleep phase – and if so, you may find yourself groggier if you wake before the end of the full sleep cycle. The 20-minute power nap, sometimes called the stage 2 nap, is good for alertness and motor learning skills – things like typing and playing the piano. Research shows that longer naps help boost memory and enhance creativity. When you nap for 30-60 minutes, you slip into slow-wave sleep, which is the deep phase that comes between REM "dream" sleep. A 30-60 minute nap is good for decision-making skills – e.g. memorizing vocabulary or recalling directions. Be aware that you may wake up groggier, at first, if you are awoken during the deepest part of the sleep cycle. REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the final phase of the sleep cycle; it is when dreams happen, and it is when your brain restores itself. REM sleep plays a key role in making new connections in the brain and solving creative problems. The purpose of a nap is to rejuvenate your body, so it's important that you give yourself plenty of time. Set an alarm to make sure that you stick to your desired naptime. If you want to get very precise, add several minutes to your "nap time" to allow yourself plenty of time to fall asleep.

SUMMARY: Plan your nap to minimize grogginess. Nap for 20 minutes at a time for a quick "power nap". Nap for 30-60 minutes to slip into slow-wave sleep. Nap for 60-90 minutes to reap the benefits of REM sleep. Try not to oversleep.


INPUT ARTICLE: Article: A French braid is a classic hairstyle which is very quick and easy once you get the hang of it. It is perfect for school mornings as it looks pretty but will also keep your little girl's hair looking neat and tidy throughout the day.   Take a section of hair from the top center of her head, just above the forehead. Divide it into three evenly-sized strands, just as you would with a normal braid. Hold two sections in your right hand and one section in your left hand. Cross the section in your left hand into the center of the other two, then cross the outside section in your right hand into the center of the other two -- just as you would with a normal braid. Continue braiding in this fashion, but before you cross over each strand grab a new piece of hair from the loose hair on same side of your head and join it with the strand that's crossing over. The smaller the strands, the more intricate your French braids will be. Keep incorporating new hair until all of the hair has been picked up, then finish with a normal braid and tie with an elastic.  Variation: Make a neat center parting them braid the hair on either side of the parting to create pigtail French braids. The fishtail braid is easier to master than the French braid, but still looks intricate and beautiful.   Sweep your little girl's hair to the side of her head and tie a low ponytail with a small elastic. Divide the hair in two. Take a thin strand of hair from the outside of the left section. Bring it over the left section and under the right section, combining it with the hair in the right section. Next take a thin strand of hair from the outside of the right section. Bring it over the right section and under the left section, combining it with the hair in the left section. Continue doing this for as long as possible. When you reach the thin hair at the bottom of the ponytail, you may need to switch to a normal braid. You can make the strands as small or as large as you like -- using thinner strands will take longer, but will result in a more intricate-looking braid. Try to keep the strands of hair as evenly sized as possible, as this will make the finished braid look neater. Tie the end with a small elastic. You can leave the braid as it is, or you can carefully cut the elastic at the top of the hair for a looser braid.  Variation: Once you've mastered the fishtail technique, you can try doing a French fishtail braid. This starts out like a regular French braid, but turns into a fishtail braid once all of the hair has been picked up. This simple hairstyle looks adorable on little girls with very long hair -- it will make them feel like beautiful princesses!   Pull hair into a high, tight ponytail on the back of the head. Divide the hair into two halves. Do a basic braid in one half, securing with a small elastic. Twist the other half, then wrap the braided hair around the twisted hair. secure at the end with a small elastic.   Variation: Wrap a bow around the top of the ponytail for added princess-factor! This cute hairstyle involves twisting a braid around itself to make a flower shape. The braided flower makes a nice alternative to hair bows and plastic flowers.   Pull hair into a nice tight ponytail, either at the back or side of the head. Separate a section of hair from the top of the ponytail and do a basic braid all the way to the end, securing with a small elastic. Start twisting the braid around itself, making sure to keep the braid flat so the pattern is visible. After each rotation, discretely secure the braid with a bobby bin. When you get to the unbraided section at the end, twist the air and tuck it beneath the finished flower, securing with a bobby pin.  Variation: Leave the hair loose, then do three of these braided flowers in a row along the back of her head or in a cluster above one of her ears. This is a pretty hairstyle you can do on little girls with long hair. It looks like a braided headband going across the top of her head.   Part hair down the middle then make a second parting from ear to ear, so the hair is split into four sections. Take a small section of hair from behind the ear on the right side of her head. Do a basic braid all the way down to the end, then secure with a small elastic. Pull the braid over the top of the head and secure with a couple of bobby pins behind the left ear (or slightly higher, if necessary). Make sure it is secured nice and tight, so the braid doesn't slide off the top of her head. Take the loose front section of hair on the right side of her head and twist it inwards (towards her head). Pull it to the back of her head so it covers the starting point of the braid. Clip to temporarily secure. Do the same on the left side of her head to cover the end of the braid and the bobby pins. Remove the clip and tie the two twisted sections together with a small elastic. Cover the elastic with a pretty hair bow or flower clip.  Variation: You can also make a double braided headband by doing a second braid starting on the left side of her head and pulling it towards the right.

SUMMARY:
Do a French braid. Do a side fishtail braid. Do a Rapunzel twist ponytail. Do braided flowers. Do a braided headband.