5 Tips for a Quick and Refreshing Power Nap

With mornings starting as early as 5 or 6 a.m and the next set of hours flying away getting breakfast ready, sending the kids off to school, preparing for your own work day ahead, and the 20 odd things that come in your way while you get to work are enough to leave you feeling devoid of all energy right in the middle of the day. A quick power nap can help!

With the rest of the day yet to be dealt with, it is not surprising that most women  feel beat and grumpy at a time when they are required to be utmost productive. Your eyelids start closing and the timing between the yawns continues to decrease. The clock seems to be ticking away and all that your drowsy self wants to do is crash into bed and enjoy sweet slumber. This tiredness slowly forms a backlog and starts messing with your levels of concentration, memory and physical functioning.

But you are wrong to think that there is nothing you can do about it. The solution was given to us long ago. But false social stigmas associated with it have led us to think of napping as a sign of laziness. A former boss of mine had a sofa inside his office where he took an hour long nap after lunch without fail and we were all instructed to not disturb him during this time, come what may. Not all of us are so fortunate as to be able to do that, but there is still hope! But time-crunched modern women have come up with ‘power’ solutions for everything including napping. A short power nap has been found to refresh and energize you, provided you follow some golden rules.

Benefits of a Power Nap

Before we jump to the rules, here is a quick look at the scientifically proven benefits of a ‘mini’ power nap:

1. Helps improve concentration
2. Increases creativity and productivity
3. Helps make up for lack of sleep
4. Keeps the nervous system in order
5. Helps prevent insomnia
6. Helps combat and reduce stress
7. Unsurprisingly- reduces the number of accidents

There is little doubt then, that the National Sleep Foundation who claim to be ‘waking America to the importance of sleep’ chose a motto that says – “Be Productive, Take a Nap”.

Rules to Make the Power Nap Work

The golden rules we mentioned above are nothing but 5 simple tips you need to keep in mind and plan your power nap around, in order for it to work for you and supercharge your energy levels.

1. Know When to Nap

‘Planned Napping’ is of great essence. Instead of working till you start finding it difficult to stay awake any longer, it is better to take your nap in advance to avoid a helpless situation. Plan a nap at a suitable time. For some, it could late in the morning after kids are off to school and before you start for your own work place of begin work at home. This can help tackling your tiredness after a busy morning and you will get a fresh, new start again. This can only work effectively if your work time is flexible or begins a little later in the day.

For others (and majority fall into this category), post lunch is the best time to nap. Late afternoons or evenings are NOT a good time to nap and may affect your night’s sleep which is the most important sleep time of all.

2. How Long Should Your Power Nap Last

A Power Nap usually lasts for 20 minutes although a ‘short’ nap can last for 20-30 minutes. These are the most beneficial naps although there are other naps like a nano or micro nap which last for 10 seconds to 5 minutes. These are not known to be very effective. However, if you cannot spare 20 minutes, a short nap of anywhere between 5 to 20 also effectively sheds sleepiness and makes you more alert. A 40 to 60 minute nap is the traditional siesta time and is a more luxurious afternoon nap.

A 20 minute power nap is usually the most effective and achievable for our times. However, I suggest you nap for 15, 20 and 25 minutes each day at first and figure out which one makes you wake up feeling refreshed and without any grogginess. In any case, refrain from napping for more than 30 minutes.

3. A Good Place to Nap

The right place for napping affects your everyday productivity. While many work places are going ahead and creating napping areas for their employees, it is yet to become a standard procedure. But do not let the lack of a proper sleeping area draw you back from taking a power nap. A quick nap of 15 to 20 minutes can be taken in any place like your work desk or chair, your car, on the beach, under a tree in your office lawns or on a self-created napping area made by joining a few stools or chairs.

4. Creating the Right Atmosphere for a Relaxing Nap

Once you find the right place, it is important to make the place conducive for your nap to be relaxing and refreshing. If your napping area is in public, you can help darken it by wearing eye masks. You can also keep the disturbing sounds at bay by wearing headphones or listening to soothing music. If your napping area is private, make some efforts to make it dark and peaceful. At all times, keep your phones switched off and if possible, place a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign at the door. Keep the weather in the area comfortably pleasant by regulating the air conditioning or heating or using a light blanket.

Caffeinated drinks and sleep have a strange connection. Drinks like coffee ward off sleep and keep you active. But they do not acting immediately. So, if you drink a caffeinated beverage right before you nap, you will get a good little effective and by the time you wake up, the caffeine would have started acting and you will actually feel even more refreshed.

5. Ending Your Power Nap

The major negative effect of a power nap is its ability to meddle with your regular sleeping hours. That is why, it is essential that you stick to the times of your power nap. Set an alarm to go off at 20 minutes and do not extend your nap any further. As mentioned in napping times above, a nap that lasts longer than 30 minutes can cause grogginess and work against you.

Whether you are at your work place, your home office or a stay at home mom working like a clockwork mouse – make a change to your daily routine and squeeze in 20 minutes to make way for a day filled with alertness, energy and increased productivity. And remember to remind yourself and others that taking a nap during work is natural, healthy and far from being a sign of laziness!