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Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

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Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#52
post #35

Power Sleep, by Cornell sleep researcher Dr. James Maas, transformed my idea of naps. I highly recommend the book. He recommends short "power naps" to quickly get in some rest. The key is to wake up before your body goes into a deep sleep cycle. For me, this means approx. 15-20 minute naps when needed. It truly is astounding how much this rejuvenates you. These naps were insanely helpful back when I was in college. B…

I often did this to and from work on the train, it's an amazing quick fix for when you're feeling drowsy.

That doesn't work for everyone. When I let myself sleep on the train, I tend to feel like a perma-zombie when I get off. I think it has something to do with the fact that I wake up at every stop, or stay halfway conscious so as not to miss my stop and therefore don't have a clear delineation between being awake and asleep (and getting off the train doesn't snap me out of it).

Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#53
post #51

Am I the only one who cannot nap? If I take a nap in the middle of the day I wake up feeling worse than when I started.

You are probably napping for too long. 20 minutes is best because you are not hitting deep sleep and may catch some REM (20 mins is also not incidentally the polyphasic sleep prescription).

Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#55
Thank you but no !!

Let me get this straight : you want to force your views and fads upon my lifestyle and make it a formal policy, all the while increasing my working hours because now I have to take a nap during working hours and I still have to put in my 8 hours? And I get no compensation for the increased hours. No Thanks !!1

Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#56
post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find myself in the same position. I wish naps were more effective for me because I tend to hit a slump around 2:30 or 3PM, but I find that when I nap, I wake up feeling dehydrated, confused, and in a surprisingly bad mood.

It's probably because you wake up when you're in REM ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_eye_movement_sleep ). The key is to wake up before you hit REM. I wake up after 30 minutes because I usually will hit REM if I nap for longer.

So do you just always get up after 30 minutes, even if you don't fall asleep for 10 or 15? I find the idea of timing the wakeup difficult otherwise. I guess WakeMate or a similar device might help.

Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#57
post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think lunch can also be to blame for afternoon fatigue, depending on what you eat.

After my surf-and-turf, three-martini lunches, I do tend to get drowsy

That I can handle. It's the afternoon tryst with my secretary that leaves me incapacitated.

Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#58
post #51

Am I the only one who cannot nap? If I take a nap in the middle of the day I wake up feeling worse than when I started.

I'm the same. These guys say 20 minutes is the best, but in that case I think we need to choose a better term than "nap", because I won't be asleep for almost any of that 20 minutes. Rest, perhaps.

Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#59

Can anyone else here not nap? I've never in my life been able to nap, despite trying. I only ever fall asleep when I'm very very tired and then I have a long deep sleep.

Same. I can't on purpose. Occasionally on a bus or train I have, but I can't seem to induce that state intentionally.

Re: Why Companies Should Insist that Employees Take Naps

#60
post #58
post #51

Am I the only one who cannot nap? If I take a nap in the middle of the day I wake up feeling worse than when I started.

I'm the same. These guys say 20 minutes is the best, but in that case I think we need to choose a better term than "nap", because I won't be asleep for almost any of that 20 minutes. Rest, perhaps.

You'd be surprised. I've been aiming for 20 minutes assisted by the iPod's Timer app, and I've hit 11-minute sessions that should qualify as 'naps'.

I've noticed that if it accidentally turns into a longer session, a sweet snack and a glass of water helps with the irritability a little.

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