Power napping is an art. And art can be viewed in many
different ways. Therefore I don’t blame you if you think this is utter rubbish.
To each his own.
Personally I believe power napping has helped me a lot over
the past year or so. I feel a short nap in the middle of the day increases my
productivity. Particularly when I manage to reach the REM stage, which can be
difficult in such a short timespan. Still, my brain shuts off for a while
because the atmosphere in my house changes (I close the blinds, switch off the
sound on my laptop and my mobile, and I snuggle up on the sofa). Also remember
that while you sleep, you give your muscles a chance to relax, which can
relieve tension headaches fairly quickly (believe it or not, I’ve cut down on
the Syndol!). In a nutshell, power naps have improved my quality of life and
dare I say, also the quality of my work.
It all started when I was browsing some random website about
corporate culture in Japan, where power napping is not frowned upon. On the
contrary, companies even create special “napping nooks” for their staff or they
allow workers to sleep at their desks. How cool is that?! So I thought, “OK, my
lunch break’s coming up. Let’s give this a try.” I was instantly hooked.
The first time I tried it, I was lucky I think, because I
was so exhausted that I instantly fell asleep. The following day it proved to
be a little harder. Your body has to get used to falling asleep quickly and
waking up soon after. After all, a power nap typically lasts about twenty
minutes. On average, depending on how busy I am of course, I have power naps
twice a week, during my lunch break. These are my tips (as in yesterday’s post,
I’d like to point out that I’m not a health professional, these are just my
personal guidelines, I can’t guarantee they’ll work for you):
1)
Drink coffee – it sounds contradictory, but
caffeine kicks in after twenty minutes, so by the time you wake up, the
caffeine will have given you a bit of a boost.
2)
Don’t power nap in bed. You associate your
bed(room) with deep sleep, so it’s better to choose a different location: try
having a nap on the sofa or on an armchair in the living room, or why not, even
at your desk.
3)
Darkness and silence are key – eliminate all
potential distractions: light of course, but also phones, computers, even
ticking clocks can stimulate your alertness.
4)
Remove your watch – set your alarm clock, but
remove your watch. Make sure you can’t check the time, because if you do, I
guarantee you’ll start counting the minutes and your brain will just respond by
thinking “Never mind, it’s not worth it anymore”.
5)
Relaxing music can help, or even a white noise
machine. Any repetitive soothing sound (cat purring, air conditioning, air
purifier etc.) can induce sleep.
6)
Incense or aromatherapy candles (careful not to
burn the house down though! I don’t personally leave candles on while I’m
asleep…) can set the right mood. Vanilla is a classic, but any pleasant scent
will do. Why not vary according to the seasons? Cinnamon in winter. Rose in
spring. Citrus in summer. And I’m not sure about autumn; it’s like the odd one
out, isn’t it?
7)
Don’t give up.
It might take weeks or even months for you to get used to this new way
of working, but once you’re comfortable with it, you’ll see results fast!
Power to the people (who power nap)!
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