Increase Your Productivity in Less Than One Hour
Have you ever thought that a 45-minute nap can restore your energy? I managed to try it and the effects last for hours!
Today is a great day. Even though it is the holidays, you (for some reason) have an enthusiasm for a productive life. You start the day on fire and at exactly seven o’clock, your productive activities begin. You move around sprightly, trying to finish your job as fast as possible. At this time, your motivation and energy are still full.
The time then entered noon. Just like any other day, now is the juncture for lunch. You are enjoying your meal when your energy starts to wane. You are already exhausted from working for hours with great passion and only take a few minutes to rest. At this time, sparks of drowsiness began to appear.
The clock turned again, and it was four o’clock in the afternoon. By now you are really sleepy. You decide to put your productive activities on hold and then sit on a soft couch while watching television shows. The drowsiness is increasingly overtaking you, so you quickly brew a cup of black coffee and sip it. The hot coffee shocks your body, to the point that you feel your passions recovers.
Unfortunately, that effect did not last long. At five o’clock in the afternoon, you truly want to sleep. Even so, you realize that sleeping late in the afternoon can make your head dizzy. Your passions collapse when you just finish one light job after finishing the coffee you have brewed before. You finally decide not to continue your activities and rest until you finally fall asleep faster than the previous days.
From the story above, we all must have experienced more or less the same situation. Based on the story, we can conclude that sleepiness from noon to afternoon is normal because basically we cannot do activities continuously and need to rest regularly. To overcome this fatigue problem, one way to handle it is through a resting method called power naps.
Definition & Benefits
Power naps are generally considered quality naps. Power naps are one way to get rid of drowsiness that often appears at critical hours, when you have a lot of demands that make you have to move vigorously. If left untreated, that annoying sleepiness can actually make you not focus on completing tasks.
Citing from Hello Sehat, power naps are naps that last for 20 to 30 minutes. With its ideal duration, power naps can provide optimal nap benefits. Regarding naps, power naps are one of four commonly recognized types. Three types of naps besides power naps are:
- Nano Nap
Is a nap that lasts only two to five minutes. This type of nap can be done when you have very limited nap time because of the many activities that need to be completed. - Mini Nap
Is a short nap of five to 20 minutes in duration. - Lazy Man’s Nap
Is a long nap with a span of 50 to 90 minutes. This type of nap is what we all hope for because it is prolonged and satisfying, although usually, a nap of more than 30 minutes can leave you dizzy and dazed as you try to get out of bed.
In general, a power nap is a short 20 to 30-minute nap that can get you back fit and energized to take on the day. Studies have shown that power naps can improve your memory, cognitive abilities, creativities, and energy levels because essentially, power naps can be done to get rid of somnolence which clearly has a myriad of bad impacts on your productivity.
A nap that is registered as a power nap is when the sleep process only enters the first two stages, which usually last 20 to 30 minutes. The difference between a power nap and a night’s sleep is that a night’s sleep is a complete sleep process that includes the entire sleep cycle, where it takes 90 to 120 minutes to complete a full sleep cycle. As quoted from Halodoc, the sleep cycle has four components, which consist of:
- Stage One of NREM
The first stage of the sleep cycle includes in Non-Rapid Eye Movement (NREM). In this phase, it can be considered that you are in a semi-conscious condition. - Stage Two of NREM
The second stage is NREM which is known as the phase towards deep sleep because your heart rate and breathing will slow down and become consistent, while your body temperature will decrease. - Stage Three of NREM
The third stage of the sleep cycle is NREM in the deep sleep version as while in this cycle, your body becomes less responsive and you will be tough to awaken. - REM
The last stage is Rapid Eye Movement (REM) which is also known as dream sleep. When in this phase, there are some increased activities in your body, such as an increase in blood pressure. The REM stage usually occurs about 70 to 90 minutes after falling asleep, and after 10 minutes in the REM stage, typically the cycle will return to the NREM sleep stages.
In detail, naps are needed to refresh the mind, relax the body, and increase energy. Power naps can relieve sleepiness, increase performance and productivity, and refresh your mind. A power nap is also useful if you want to drive during the day but you are sleepy, as its effects are useful for reducing the potential of traffic accidents while driving a motorized vehicle.
Implementation Method
Summarizing from DokterSehat and based on personal notes, the following is a short method for implementing the power naps lifestyle. It is worth noting that the power nap that puts you in stage three of NREM allows you to wake up dizzy and tired:
- Sleep in a Comfortable Environment
First and foremost, sleep in a comfortable environment, because power naps perform best in a dark, quiet, and cool sleeping environment. If you do not have an optimal sleeping environment, then you have to improvise to create a cozy environment. - Sleeping Accessories
If you think it is important, then you can use sleeping accessories at will to support your sleep process. You can use earplugs to reduce noise, a sleep mask to reduce light exposure, and so on. Adjust sleeping accessories to your sleeping environment. - Gadget Usage Rule
The blue light that appears from gadgets screen can disrupt the sleep process. Consider avoiding using gadgets some time before going to bed. - Set an Alarm
Do not forget to set an alarm according to your preferences. Make sure the alarm does not send you past the 30-minute power nap limit. Add 15 minutes to your alarm just in case because you certainly cannot fall napping right away. - Consume A Caffeinated Drink
To get more power out of a short power nap, drink a cup of coffee before rushing to take a nap. According to DokterSehat, research shows that a combination of caffeine and short sleep can eliminate the peak of sleepiness in the afternoon. - Do Not Snooze to Wake Up
When the alarm rings, immediately turn off the alarm and directly get up from your sleep. Do not be tempted to roll back into the blanket and start moving around a lot to signal your body that the power nap session is over. Do not jump straight into strenuous activities because your body may not be ready for them.
My Experience
I wrote this guide for a reason because I have already experienced the benefits of power naps. At first, I had a hard period because when it was time to wake up, I always indulged in my temptation to continue sleeping soundly, and I expect you will feel the same moment.
It is been almost five times that I failed to beat the power nap challenge, so I decided to take a break for a few weeks before finally trying it again, although it is just for fun. But apparently, the experiment was successful and my power nap activities continued to run smoothly until this article was written.
I set an alarm for a total of 45 minutes, of which the first 15 minutes will be used to try to fall asleep because I cannot just escape the realities of life, and I think you are the same.
For me, power naps are a great method of resting during the day. In less than an hour, I am able to overcome my drowsiness problem and recover a certain percentage of my energy to return to my productive activities. You have to try power nap and I am sure you will enjoy it. Just make sure that you will not be persuaded to continue sleeping for the next hours.
Bibliography
- Hello Sehat — “Menguak Manfaat Power Nap dan Bedanya dengan Tidur Siang Biasa”
- Halodoc — “Ini 4 Fase Tidur yang Dialami Setiap Hari”
- DokterSehat — “Power Nap: Manfaat dan Cara Melakukannya”
