How To Turbo-charge Your Power Nap For Maximum Productivity
The reason it is called a power nap is that it has the power to recharge your batteries after just a few minutes of sleep. The benefits of a power nap are increasingly becoming known. More and more people are beginning to plan ahead for power naps, to increase their alertness and enhance their productivity.
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It is estimated that nearly half of Americans are habitual nappers. Big companies are starting to encourage their employees to be taking well-calculated power naps. But for you to get the most out of your power naps, you must have a strategy. This is because you will not be taking it in the comfort of your bedroom where you may be blessed to have a comfortable mattress by Puffy.
How To Turbo-charge Your Power Nap For Maximum Productivity
By Shilpa Dhaygude
You can enjoy your power nap anywhere and at any time. Here are a few great tips to help you out!
Let the nap not be too short or too long
You should know that power naps are not sleeping sessions, so don’t use them as an avenue to make up for the lost sleep last night. A short power nap should be between ten and thirty minutes. This will always be sufficient to help you recharge your energy reserves without affecting your sleep at night.
Looking to increase your alertness? Then a ten-minute power nap will do the magic. This is ideal if you are working in an environment where high levels of alertness are needed. Or if you can only afford to take off just a couple of minutes off work.
Make it a habit
If you want to read a lot from power naps, then you should not just take it on a few days and skip the rest. You should plan for it every single day at the same time and at the same place.
Your body system will soon adapt and adjust. You will find no problems in falling asleep at the time of your power nap or at night for your regular sleep.
However, if you do it someday and you skip others your body will never adjust. With no rhythm in it, you miss all the immense benefits.
Know when to take it
Timing if your power nap is of utmost importance. Researchers recommend late to mid-afternoon are the best times to get a nap. These are between 1 pm and 3 pm.
There is biological explanation for this. The human brain has the ability to balance between the circadian rhythm and the sleep drive. The sleep drive increase as the day progresses, but the alerting system usually oppose it and that is what usually keep people awake.
During the recommended times for the power naps, the alerting signal of the circadian system also begins to rise and compete with the strength of the sleep drive which had been progressing throughout the day. Consequently, people begin to feel tired and can thus easily fall asleep.
Use an alarm
It is recommended that if you will be taking the power nap away from your workstation or inside your car, then you should set an alarm to wake you up after the number of minutes you wanted to sleep. This is to help you not drift further into sleep and missing out on what you were supposed to do.
Try using headphone to block out any noise that may make it difficult for you to fall asleep as soon as possible. If you are usually affected by light when you sleep, then you can also consider using face masks.
Face masks will not just save you from the light. They also will let others not that you are intentionally sleeping at work. So hopefully, they won’t bother you!
Nap while embracing the dark sides
Exposure to light will impact your internal clock and delay sleep from coming. To enjoy your daytime nap, find some dark space to do the napping. Consider sleeping in a place with heavy drapes, blinds, or blackout curtains.
These are ideal in blocking out light so you can enjoy your nap. If you can’t find such places, block out any bright LED lights.
Always remember to keep your cool
When you sleep, your body temperature will naturally go down. If the weather is too hot, it may have an effect on the quality your power nap.
Try opting for a cooler environment. The ideal temperatures are suggested to be between 60 and 65 degrees F. These are the right temperatures to help you fall asleep quickly.
Caution about power napping
In as much as you may be very upbeat about power naps and you are excited about all the health benefits, it will bring to you, it must be exercised with some degree of caution.
Most people usually experience a drop in their energy levels in the late afternoon, but if you find that you are too tired to proceed with the rest of your day normally, it may not be that you need a power nap, but you may be having an underlying sleep problem.
Turbo-charge Your Power Nap For Maximum Productivity
If you are always tired during the day and you are becoming almost reliant on a power nap, then this could be an indication of Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Therefore, watch out while you power nap and ensure that you are not becoming dependent