Productivity Gamechanger: Drink a Cup of Coffee and Then Go to Sleep.
Yes, I sleep at 1 pm. Will tell you why.
I’m captivated by how Nikola Tesla, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Salvador Dali, Winston Churchill, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte, and others improved their sleep cycle to became more productive. For example da Vinci, the master of power nap gain an extra 20 years of productivity during his 67 years of life.
Salvador Dali, as well as many others, considered sleeping as a waste of time, except for the dreaming.
In the past, men used to sleep in two shifts. These two shifts started to disappear during the late 17th century. It is interesting that references around sleep insomnia start occurring when two shifts of sleep start to disappear. While a third of the current population has trouble sleeping, we should start thinking about our sleeping patterns.
Nowadays, many people around me not only expect but require to be productive all day long since the early morning till the late evening. It’s quite easy to follow such self request for some time. Achieving this effectiveness day-by-day for a long period of time can be challenging.
That’s why my attention was caught when I started reading about polyphasic sleeping. One of my first thoughts was how can I manage it at the office where I spend most of my time. Our offices are yet not prepared for this new style of balance, and I had to be creative. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
I decided to use our storage room, and I brought a sleeping pad, ear plugs, eye mask, and a blanket. These are my best friends at 1 pm. The routine is important, and I’m a bit struggling with precise timing, yet.
I drink caffeine espresso prior I go for a power nap. Yes, it sounds a bit weird. To understand why it’s important to know how caffeine works. Once caffeine is absorbed through the small intestine, it passes into the bloodstream and crosses into the brain. In the brain, caffeine fits into receptors which are usually filled by a molecule called adenosine that has similarly shaped molecules. Now, the game begins.
When adenosine (a byproduct of brain activity) accumulates at high enough level, it fits into these receptors and creates the feeling of tiredness. Easily said, when caffeine blocks the receptors, adenosine is unable to do fill them.
Caffeine does not block every single adenosine receptor. Caffeine competes with adenosine for these spots.
A molecule structure of Caffeine and Adenosine:
Sleeping naturally clears adenosine from the brain. A nap longer than 15–20 minutes brings the body into a deeper stage of sleep. It takes some time to recover from the deeper stage/cycle.
Short, 15–20 minutes naps generally do not lead into sleep inertia. Caffeine needs around 20 minutes to get through the gastrointestinal tract and bloodstream into the brain.
During the nap, your body clears adenosine, and the caffeine has less adenosine to compete with. Thereby is even more effective to have a power nap right after a shot of coffee. 🐾
Recommended books:
1. Why We Nap
2. Ubersleep: Nap-Based Sleep Schedules and the Polyphasic Lifestyle
Note: There is no affiliate with Amazon or any other company.
