The power of the nap

10 September 2007 · 1 comment

Quite often I just don’t get enough sleep. Then during the day although I’m sleepy, I feel I have to be staunch and stay awake. All that achieves is that I remain sleepy and don’t manage any quality work. Sometimes though I get smart and have a snooze for a few minutes. About 18 months [...]

Quite often I just don’t get enough sleep. Then during the day although I’m sleepy, I feel I have to be staunch and stay awake. All that achieves is that I remain sleepy and don’t manage any quality work. Sometimes though I get smart and have a snooze for a few minutes.

About 18 months ago I invested in some software called Pzizz to help with naps. Set a nap duration, choose a blend of voice and music, then get comfy. The software creates a guided nap, complete with wake up timer.

It’s worked well for me when I’ve used it, and of course I (usually) wake up refreshed and ready to get back to work.

Lifehacker Australia [How and Why to Power Nap] point to a good article from Ririan Project: 10 Benefits of Power Napping, and How to Do It. After writing up some research about the benefits of napping, Ririan explain the different types of nap. It looks as though something between 2 and 20 minutes can perk up the day:

  • THE NANO-NAP: 10 to 20 seconds. …
  • THE MICRO-NAP: two to five minutes. Shown to be surprisingly effective at shedding sleepiness.
  • THE MINI-NAP: five to 20 minutes. Increases alertness, stamina, motor learning, and motor performance.
  • THE ORIGINAL POWER NAP: 20 minutes. … clears the brain of useless built-up information, which helps with long-term memory (remembering facts, events, and names).
  • THE LAZY MAN’S NAP: 50 to 90 minutes. …

They have more; it’s a quick but interesting read. If you sometimes fight through daytime sleepiness, go read it.

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Maria 10 September 2007 at 13:00 14

Sadly, I am only capable of doing a Lazy Man’s Nap and it needs to be at least 2 hours to do me any good.

So I don’t nap very often.

My husband, on the other hand, does very well with 10 minute naps. He often takes them during long car rides while I’m driving. Personally, I think he’s using the nap as an excuse to shut me up.

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