Yes, you can now add napping to your list of necessary best business practices. We can all admit there’re times when the thought if only we could close our eyes for a few minutes we could get through the rest of the day.
There are two views about napping. First, the need to revert back to sleep in a form of a nap is due to sleep deprivation. The second is that by closing one’s eyes and resting either in a state of meditation or a short sleep duration of 10-20 minutes, allows the brain to clean out its buffer.
Sleep Deprivation
It’s currently estimated that 50% of the US population is thought to be sleep deprived. The recommended number of hours of sleep to rejuvenate the body and brain is 7-8 hours. Some people need 9 hours; other average 6 hours. However, there are the business warriors thriving on 4-5 hours.
Insufficient sleep means that as the brain moves through its sleep cycles, at one point a cycle has been interrupted. Upon awakening the brain in groggy as it attempts to bring all of its functions back online when it’s out-of-synch. It also explains why coffee (caffeine) is such a desirable brain re-boot, if only temporarily.
For those sleep deprived, short-term napping of 10 – 20 minutes is not a remedy. With a lack of sleep, the brain wants to return and complete its cycles from light to deep to REM dream sleep. In order to compensate in some manner, napping will extend itself to around 90 minutes or longer. However, it does not mean that a sleep deficiency has been filled, and often a person will awaken with sleep inertia that may last from a few minutes and up to a half hour.
Power Napping
On the other hand, if you want to use napping for business success then a daily power nap of 10-20 minutes (30 minutes by others) is recommended. Short-term napping allows the brain to partially go off-line and process what it’s accumulated so far.
Think of all the information that been transmitted to your brain from the time you awoke to let’s say 1- 2:00 pm today. It’s not only your own thoughts but massive amounts of visual, sensory and audio data input.
Most of that information is sitting in the hippocampus, a short-term holding tank waiting to be evaluated for long- term memory storage and access. When your short-term holding tank is full, your brain is going to find a way to shut down in some manner – thought processing slows down, memory recall lags, headaches, eye strain, and that sneaky feeling of sudden tiredness.
Why you want to use napping in your business
Short-term napping allows the brain to clear out the build-up of information without any new information coming in at the same time. Research indicates that this 10-20-minute brain break has immediate benefits.
- More energy
- Increased productivity
- Greater sense of alertness
- Increased quality performance
- Reduction in mistakes and accidents
- Improved learning ability
- Reduction in stress and burnout
- Increased memory function
- Improved cognitive function
- Increased levels of creativity
- Improved decision-making skills
- Increased emotional resilience
- Better sense of well-being and mood
All this in 10-20 minutes on a regular napping basis.
How to nap effectively
Ideally, the best time to nap is earlier in the day rather than later. This way it will not interfere with your sleeping schedule at night. Having the room as dark as possible will reduce distractions, or if that is not an option, you can use a sleeping mask as an alternative. It’s also suggested to use a light blanket because body temperature will drop even in this short time. Set a timer to ensure you limit yourself to 10-20 minutes. If not, you might find yourself falling into a deeper and longer sleep.
If you and your business are running out of energy at some point each day, then scheduling a power nap may be want’s needed to energize you towards greater success. Here’s great visual recap.
Resources:
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/napping http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/02/07/unleash-the-power-of-the-nap/
http://www.artofmanliness.com/2011/02/07/unleash-the-power-of-the-nap/
http://www.fastcompany.com/3017356/work-smart/the-revealing-science-behind-what-naps-do-to-your-brain-and-why-you-should-have-o
Image: Pixabay 25528
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I’m a power napper Joyce, and it works wonders for me. In my younger days I used to practice TM during lunch break to see me through the long working hours and now that I am my own boss, I relish in this productivity tool. The danger is oversleeping and when that happens, true disorientation sets in. Thanks for the insightful post.
I remember learning about TM when it was introduced by David Lynch. He’s still a big promoter, but the TM name seems to be less known. It certainly works and all of this is helping us to deal with the increased stress and uncertainty we are facing in our world these days.
Very timely. I have been trying to incorporate it into my day but it has been a major struggle even though I am sleep deprived. Tomorrow I will try again. This article gave me inspiration.
Adanna, it sounds like you have a lot going on right now. It might be a good idea start out with a simple 5-minute break where you sit with your eyes closed, and take a few deep breaths. As you feel more comfortable you can extend it to longer periods of time.
I CAN’T NAP!!! It kills my evening sleep and my brain won’t shut down. This just happened… I was exhausted and not ‘feeling’ work on Friday… thought, 1 hour, that would be great… laid down.. I think I managed 30 minutes and couldn’t sleep any longer… I didn’t feel any better, wanted to sleep more, but it wasn’t going to happen. So disappointed.
Kristen, my impression is that you are a very committed and hard-working entrepreneur. That can be a great thing in becoming successful. You might want to think about 5- minute break. Just close your eyes and take 10 deep breaths and then get up and go back to what you are doing. Just be sure you schedule in a 5-minute break every day. When we’re so accustomed to pushing ourselves to get it done that we don’t realize how much we are demanding of our energy system. It works when we’re young but eventually it takes it toll when we’re older. So, all you want to do right now is just train your brain to accept and expect a 5-minute break.
Hi Joyce 🙂
Nice post! I would agree, that napping is definately something as business owners , we must incorporate into our schedules 🙂 So important especially the clarity we get after having a restful sleep 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
A short nap during the day seems to work for a lot of people. It gives your brain and break and takes the pressure off. Thanks, Joan for providing your feedback.
I do not have the best sleeping habits right now, so I do at least preserve my mental acuity and sharpness with a power nap on most week days. I find that napping for 30 minutes or so definitely gives me immediate benefits in terms of increased concentration and faster information processing.
Another great method I use for rejuvenation is listening to meditation and hypnosis programs that feature binaural beats…they serve like a tuning fork and put the brain automatically into a restful state of consciousness. Not only do you get the benefits that come with meditation and hypnosis, you also get the benefits of resting your body and mind.
Rachel, both meditation and hypnosis are good alternatives. What’s good about napping is that it lets the brain clear out the information sitting in short term memory. If you’re doing progressive relaxation in hypnosis that works as well. If you’re using hypnosis with guided imagery or a specific hypnotic scenario, then the brain has to process what it hears and usually stays in the alpha state unless you deepen it to at least delta. You have to think of all of these methods as fine tuning into different subconscious channels. A binaural beat program is great for elevating brain frequency. You might also want to try the Solfeggion hertz frequencies.
Love this , for me a meditation or some shiver shaking to fires me up. now good on the power nap, my partner is great at it and have always been envious xx
Meditation is also excellent for clearing the brain’s buffer. It’s quick and easy. I know that some people fall into a nap from mediation. When the body and brain are tired it will find a way to snooze. You do whatever gives you the best results, Suzie.
It’s only recently I’ve been able to reap the benefits of power napping as I just couldn’t make myself sleep during the day. Now when I do it I feel so much more energised and focused.
Glad to hear power napping is working for you Tami. Thanks for sharing your positive experiences.
I love naps. Very very hard for me to make them less than 45 minutes. Once I get close to my bed I want to be there for a while.
I’m gonna try a 20-minute nap and see how that feels.
Thanks!
Sue
Happy to hear you’re already a napper, Sue. It may be that you need more to recharge with 45 minutes. See what works best for you.
Great advice! I came across the concept of an “espresso nap” in one of my time management researches: Do a shot of espresso, then nap for 20 minutes. By the time you wake up, the caffeine will have processed in your body and you’re alert and ready to go. Another point about getting enough sleep: The neurons in your brain shrink up to 60% (shocked me, too) in order to allow the build-up of the day’s toxins to be flushed from the brain. That convinced me!
Yes, Jackie, I’ve heard of this too, but it was with coffee rather than espresso. But, on a regular basis, it starts to lose its effectiveness and you find yourself consuming a larger amount (sound familiar?). People really don’t think of toxin build up in the brain, and there’s research looking at nanoparticle to cross the blood-brain barrier, in an attempt to make us smarter. Not sure, how much that would help some people who … (you know the ones I mean).
Hi Joyce, I noticed the topic of this post earlier and put off looking at it. Then, I went out into my garden, lay in the sun and napped for 10 minutes and woke up thinking, now I can look at that post about napping! Before, it would have been like a starving man looking at pictures of food. Now, I can simply agree – naps – yes! xo
Yes, Reba, naps are permissible whenever they are deemed necessary. Enjoy every one of them.
I do this! Not sure how I would have handled it when I worked in “corporate America” but it’s a habit I picked up when I started working at home. Like many other Entrepreneurs, I discovered I was working more hours, but quickly learned the value of chunking my time and these days a power nap is a regular part of my day. It’s amazing how much it helps to overcome the 3pm slump.
So true, Marquita. Once you are able to control your time, taking a power nap really makes you more productive. And, if you’re napping, say somewhere between 1 – 2:00 pm, you miss the 3:00 pm slump entirely. You’re actually recharging your brain and body before it hits it’s lowest energy point of the day.
Personally I have never been able to “nap” and yet I admire those who seem to effortlessly put their head down wherever they are to catch a short “power” nap. I am fascinated by the topic of sleep and last night had the opportunity to attend a lecture by one of the doctors in the practice I am a patient of, and although he introduced the lecture with the latest research findings and quantitative info, he moved into the spiritual aspect of sleep as taught by Rudoph Steiner/Anthroposophy. I am still digesting the depth of the content and certainly came out with a new appreciation and understanding of how important sleep is for not only our physical body, but for our spiritual selves too. Sleep deprivation has a profound impact on all levels of our being and those who believe they can exist and thrive on less than 7 hours a night, are simply fooling themselves, as in the long term, they are truly doing themselves harm. Thanks for sharing the wonderful info again, Joyce. I do wish I could join the napping population, as somedays it feels like the perfect anecdote to a busy day!
We seem to be travelling on the same wave length, Beverly. I was into Rudolph Steiner early on. So many of this things are so true. Even if you find yourself with a busy day, try sitting still with your eyes closed for a few minutes. These mini breaks can help to pace the rest of your day.
For the most part I get a solid 8 hours each night, and this seems just right for me. But when I don’t sleep well, this kind of a short nap does wonders. jane
Jame, you belong to that special group of people that gets 8 hours of sleep. That can make all the difference as opposed to those getting a lot less. So for you, napping is a handy back-up when you need it.
My husband is always recommending taking a power nap. I used to be able to take naps when I worked outside of the home and would do so when I got off work. Now that I work from home, it seems more difficult to shut down even for a few and even if I am feeling the need. Often I will put on some zen music and that helps. When I can nap for even a few minutes I do feel much better. I know benefits you mention are so relevant and can make a big difference in our well being.
Listening to zen music is also a good way to perk up the brain, Teresa. Maybe you can give yourself just a few minutes when you have a busy day to close your eyes at the same time. This will give your gray cells a little time to process all that great information you’re working. on.
I’m the queen of power napping. It was survival in college , all thru being a career working mom and now. I always knew it was good for me. I awaken refreshed, eager to get on with living life.
That makes you a power napping olympian Roz, and probably explains why you’re still going strong.
You know, the funniest thing, Joyce–I power nap almost every day. It’s as though my body says sleep, and just does. And almost exactly for 20 minutes! I wake up refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of my day.
Funny thing, that body. It tends to know what’s good for it!
Susan, you’re a star performer. If we pay attention, life can be a lot easier because the brain want’s what’s good for us.
I love this! I tend to need a nap every day from 2-3 PM. Sorry to say I don’t do it. But I do like the power napping idea. Thanks for sharing.
Sabrina, if you feel that you tend to need a nap, that’s your brain and body looking for a nap. Give them 10 minutes and see how that works for you.