3 Killer Power Nap Tips You Will Love This Year

3 Killer Power Nap Tips You Will Love This Year

Power napping is a simple technique that boosts productivity and improves performance, among other benefits. So how do you take a power nap? And how long is the right power nap?

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Power Naps Boost Performace, Mood, and Alertness

Inemuri is a Japanese word that means sleeping while present. It’s a part of Japan’s widely

accepted work culture of napping on the job. It is considered a sign of hard work. A contrast to the views of resting at work in the west.

If you google search Inemuri, this is the Wikipedia search result you find.

Sleeping on the job is not considered elegant.

However, in recent years that’s begun to change. Companies like Google, Apple, and Nike

are making nap pods, sleeping rooms, even tree houses to ensure their employees get

power naps at the office.

So, how to power nap the right way for the best results?

Let’s begin by understanding why napping is so crucial and how to nap like an expert.

A power nap is a short 10 -20-minute repose used to improve productivity and performance.

However, people who have insomnia or other sleep disorders should not take power naps. A power nap in the middle of the day would cause you to stay awake, or you would have difficulty falling asleep at night. Ruining your sleep schedule and making the condition worse.

Power Nap Tip 1 – Duration

The amount of time you spend napping is as crucial to feeling refreshed when you wake up.

Sleep specialist Dr. Michael J Breus MD recommends a 15 to 20-minute nap for optimum benefits. You could also extend it to 30 minutes, but any longer than that would leave you feeling groggy and disoriented. The reason? You have started a sleep cycle or a REM cycle that would last for 90 minutes. During this stage of sleep, you begin to dream. So the duration of your nap is vital to feeling energized and alert.

Power Nap Tip 2 – Time

There is a point in the day when your productivity naturally dips. Taking naps at that time will maximize its effects.

Also, consider taking a nap during the middle of the day, between two and three o’clock. Since for most people, their body’s productivity naturally dips during that part of the day. Avoid naps after four in the evening. It is likely to throw off your circadian rhythm, and you would have trouble falling asleep at night. Ten-minute naps have the best effects because it’s just long enough to rest and not too long that you fall into a deep sleep.

Another option you have is to take a nap for an hour and a half. That is if you have difficulty maintaining the 10 to 20-minute nap. You would be able to complete your sleep cycle and wake up energized.

Power Nap Pro Tip

We all drink coffee in the hopes of staying awake and getting more work done.

“But, caffeine, just like sugar, is a loan shark for energy. It takes away more energy than it gives, leaving you craving for more.” – Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, medical director of the national Fibromyalgia and Fatigue Centers. 

That’s why napping is a healthier way of boosting productivity with no long term health problems.

That said, you don’t have to give up drinking coffee. A chemical called adenosine circulates in your body; it promotes sleep, causing you to feel drowsy. Coffee competes with adenosine in your body, reducing the effects of drowsiness, and drinking coffee before a nap is more effective in reducing fatigue and sleepiness.

Consider drinking a cup right before you take a 15-minute nap. Since coffee takes around 25 minutes to take effect, you would wake up feeling even more energized.

Power Nap Tip 3 – Nap Spot

The more comfortable and quiet the environment is, the better it is for a nap.

Now nap pods are difficult to come by at offices, so you need to find a quiet place to get some shut-eye. You could hop into your car for a quick snooze.

Or you can take a nap at your desk; there are specific pillows that help you do that.

Take a look at our website home page for our ergonomically designed pillow – napEazy is useful for office naps too. It helps align your spine while sleeping in a seat.

That said, power napping takes a lot of practice; you need to experiment a lot with your environment and habits. But once you adjust to the new rhythm, there is no turning back.

Also, see – Think you Know the Difference between napping and sleeping? Think again

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