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Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

dealbook.nytimes.com

31–40 of 183 posts

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#31
post #5

The key takeaway is this: > The research is overwhelming that the vast majority of us require seven to eight hours of sleep to feel fully rested, and only a small percentage require less than seven. I'm sometimes envious of people I meet that can function well with little sleep, but I resign myself to the fact that I wasn't dealt that particular card. You can't compete with those folks by simply trying to ape their h…

"But I'm special!"

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#32

Has anyone tried polyphasic sleep cycles as a way to get less sleep without losing cognitive function?

Lots of people try it, and some of them post articles here about how it feels starting out. I've never heard of anyone actually sticking to it. I also haven't seen any of these reports that give actual objective measures of before/after cognitive function (they don't even have to be that rigorous, maybe a log of scores/times at tetris or dual-n-back or sudoku or 2048 or something), just subjective reports which as TFA says aren't exactly reliable.

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#33
post #2

I'm a big fan of naps. I take one around 2PM or so, usually for about 15-20 minutes.

I can never take short naps. I always end up wanting to sleep the rest of the day.

I used to be exactly the same way....particularly my late teens and twenties where I would sleep half the day if I tried to take a nap.

Sometime around 40 that changed. I take a nap almost every day, (sometimes 2, esp if doing something mentally taxing...I can do this since I work from home), but it's been years since I have been able to take a nap exceeding 20 minutes. I simply wake up, no alarm or stimuli needed. Even if I was up all night the night before. Sometimes, (like on Sunday afternoon), it's annoying. I would like to be able to enjoy a long nap again occasionally.

I've wondered about this, and would love a solid physiological explanation.

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#34
Sleep and I have a rocky relationship. I'm terrible at falling asleep, and even worse at waking up, but boy have I learned to value it.

I can't nap, because I literally can't sleep anything less than 4 hours. Friends and relatives have tried yelling/shaking/banging pots and pans, but the only thing that will wake me is cold water to the face.

However, I've found taking a few moments to meditate can do wonders when I'm getting that run-down-man-I-could-use-a-nap feeling.

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#36
Honestly, I think a bigger issue is what time we actually go to sleep.

I think a lot professionals just don't get to sleep on time for the required 7-8 hours.

If you get up at 6 or 7 in the morning, that means you are deep asleep by 10 or 11 pm.

I just don't think a lot of sleep deprived people are doing that.

At least that's alway been my experience.

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#37

Too bad the body is often pretty lousy at honoring requests for quality sleep even when we make the time.

The first step is to kick a caffeine habit if you have one. That means no coffee, no tea, no caffeinated soda.

I have for most of my life not been drinking caffeine at all, and I'm never able to sleep whenever I decide to, apart from in the evening. So this is not a pancaea for everyone.

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#38
post #6
post #3

Naps save me every time. Just when my work starts flagging and quality starts dropping, a 20min nap makes me feel almost as fresh as I am coming into the office in the morning. Most others at work feel awkward about taking naps - even with me evangelising naps :o)

Where do you nap? Does your office provide a suitable place?

i used to nap under my cubicle desk... w/ the geometry of my cube, no one could see me even if they poked their head in.

doesn't work w/ standing desks in open layouts :( now i often go to car.

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#39
Working from home helps a lot here. I've found starting the day with exercise (30 minute cycle ride) helps kick start my alertness. I split my lunch, I'll eat quickly at my desk around 12, then work for a couple of hours, then take a nap around 2pm. Seems to set me up for the afternoon.

Re: Sleep as a Competitive Advantage

#40
post #6
post #3

Naps save me every time. Just when my work starts flagging and quality starts dropping, a 20min nap makes me feel almost as fresh as I am coming into the office in the morning. Most others at work feel awkward about taking naps - even with me evangelising naps :o)

Where do you nap? Does your office provide a suitable place?

On my chair/desk. I reduce the chair's height so I'm not bending over too much, and put my head on my arms on the table.
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