How to Benefit from a Power Nap
Posted on February 25, 2008
Filed Under Life, Health
A power nap is a short nap, normally between 10 and 30 minutes long, taken in the middle of the day in order to reinvigorate and refresh you for the next part of the day. Power naps are not similar to normal sleep, so you will not be groggy after taking one. While you might have “dreams”, power naps are more similar to meditation, where thoughts are allowed to move from the sub-conscious mind to the conscious mind and back again without you concentrating on them.
How to Power Nap Effectively:
- Don`t be shame - be proud of your nap, announcing your intentions in advance to
workmates or family members. Napping is great for your health and productivity.
- Choose a time of the day when you are most likely to crash, such as the mid-morning or in the middle of the afternoon. Plan to nap between 10 and 30 minutes in your quiet spot during those times. The time limits may vary depending on how much sleep your body will need to renew its energy.
- Choose a quiet, location to power nap. One thing you want to make sure is that you have a silence place that you can power nap without being interrupted or distracted by environmental factors, such as cars or ground maintenance workers. If you choose to power nap in your office, then make sure that you post a sign that lets people know that you are power napping and not to disturb you.
- Collect your equipment blankets, pillows and, where possible, a foldout bed will ensure you get the most out of the rest, and help you separate naptime from the rest of the day
- Eat right - Avoid caffeine and sugar. If you choose to practice power napping, then you want to make sure you avoid eating too much caffeinated or sugary products before you power nap, as these can obviously obstruct with your ability to sleep.
- Turn off the phone. If you are power napping in your office, so have certain you have your principal telephone turned away or switched to quiet style. The same holds true with your cell phone if you are power napping away from work.
- Add darkness to your room if you wish, such as turning off the lights. If you are in your car, wear sunglasses. Darkness is known for helping you fall asleep faster. Use a blanket to stay warm if necessary, since your body temperature drops during sleep.
- Find some music to listen to if that helps you fall asleep. Light sounds such as
classical, jazz or new age may help to relax your mind so that you can go to sleep. The music is most helpful if you have had a stressful day.
- Wake up on time - Plan the length of your nap and set an alarm for your desired awakening time. Set your alarm (clock or phone) for 15 minutes’ time, or get someone reliable (who is not after your job) to wake you.
Here is a list of all the great benefits of practicing the art of power napping:
- boost in productivity and energy at work
- increased motivation
- improved ability to concentrate,
- better mood
- improved hand-eye coordination
- improve emotional state
- increased learning,
- maintain peak brain activity during the course of the day
Napping can be good for the old as well as the young.
Happy napping!
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4 Responses to “How to Benefit from a Power Nap”
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Waking up from a good power nap is more refreshing than a nights sleep.
have you ever taken two power naps in a row? orgasmic let me tell you
I do power naps as well. In my eyes it is really effective - above all for my boss because it improves the efficiency of my work. However, I use the aXbo Sleep Phase Alarm Clock therefor. You wear a wrist band with a sensor in it and it recognizes your sleep phases. Hence, you shouldn’t fall into a deep sleep phase the aXbo wakes you up before that point. Just have a look at www.axbo.com! I think it’s a gorgeous invention. I also use it to wake up every morning coz it makes me feel better. As if I would have been woken up by myself.
Hello My name is Chris, and I have been searching the web in regards to Alarm for what seems like ages now. Its really nice to know that someone out there is really writing great articles about Alarm. I’ll be back to read other articles you have. Signed this day (Friday).