Sunday, July 31, 2011

Asleep at the Wheel Department

 


POWER NAPPING 101









Power napping is a 50/50 proposition for me!  I have had good results and bad results!!

Sometimes I will be totally refreshed and other times I will be groggy as hell!!

I decided to dig around cyberspace for some advice and tidbits on how to do the perfect power nap!!


1. Do a hit of Caffeine before you you nod off!  Apparently the caffeine will hit you nervous system right about the time you wake up if your nap is a short one!! You will have the combined effect of the speed buzz hitting at the same time your brain is rebooting from the nap!!

2. Set you mobile timer for the right amount of time - How much time the perfect nap tapes is a matter of experimentation. Go to long and you will get into too deep a sleep.  My best results are somewhere between 10-15 minutes. Perfect for a lunch break!!

3. Sleeping more than 30 minutes could cause "Sleep Inertia" which means you won't thaw out for quite some time! I recommend staying under 20 minutes from my personal research!!

4. Once your nap is over do something active. Quick walk. Throw some clothes in the washer. Quick push ups on a chest of drawers, etc. Signal you body that the party is over and it's time to Rock and Roll!!

5. If you are at your desk and no one is around. Just hang your head and close your eyes for a couple minutes! Then grab a cup of Joe. I am surprised how much that even helped!!

6. Pretend the lottery commission just called and told you where to pick up you check! A quick fantasy is a great way to come out of slumber land!!

I only take power naps when I absolutely have to. Only when I feel like I just took a Mike Tyson right cross and have to nod out!!

The power nap is a bit of risk but can be very useful if your willing to take the time to perfect the process!!

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