A nap after lunch is only for little kids? If you think so, you've taken a real power nap. So you can recharge your batteries with the short nap.
The daily work routine can make you quite tired. When one meeting follows the next, many emails arrive in between and the phone rings constantly, you're totally knocked out after lunch at the latest.
And somehow you've already gotten used to it: lunch and then a real low. It's hard to concentrate, you're tired and nothing goes on at work. Already at the first bite of food the energy low is waiting for us - I'm convinced of it :)
To some extent, the midday low is part of our biorhythm. The more and the heavier the food, the greater the low. Often, however, a salad is enough and you would like to get out of there - quickly off to bed.
What can you do about this low? The solution is quite simple. It is called power nap.
For our grandparents, this was a matter of course. They were mostly unfamiliar with the feeling of being permanently tired or stressed. Nor did anyone know about burnouts back then. After dinner, there was always a power nap. Then you went back to work. Slowly, the short turbo nap is finding its way back into society.
In Asia, sleep at work is supported and encouraged. But power napping is also quite common in England, the USA and Canada.
Table of contents
What does power napping mean?
Powernap is made up of the words power and nap - meaning energy and nap. Power napping is nothing more than a short sleep that recharges the body and also the mind with new energy.
Especially thoughts and the feeling of being stressed are left behind. With a short nap, the body is able to regenerate in a short time.
Scientists around the world are studying the effects of a short nap or power nap after a meal. Studies show that just a 20-minute power nap is enough to boost our performance by up to 34 %.
These are the power nap benefits:
- The performance is improved
- The concentration and mindfulness are increased
- The motor skills become better
- A power nap is a mood booster
- A little nap is a natural stimulant without chemicals and side effects
Everyone who has a stressful job should take short naps. When we close our eyes, the stress hormone cortisol is reduced. Things and matters that seemed unsolvable before suddenly become easier.
Countless studies have already been devoted to the power nap. Many findings have been drawn from them.
6 Reasons Why You Should Start Power Snapping Right Now:
- It has a positive effect on our short-term memory
- It increases our performance
- A nap reduces weight. Tired people have a greater appetite for fatty and sweet foods
- Power naps protect against heart disease. Anyone who takes a power nap at lunchtime 3 times a week can reduce their risk of heart attack by 37 percent
- Naps put you in a good mood. A nap increases the concentration of serotonin in the blood. This hormone lifts our mood.
- A power nap prevents exhaustion.
- The nap helps you to anchor new things faster in your brain.
The 13 best tips for your power nap
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Pay attention to the duration
Power napping doesn't mean you sleep for 2 hours - that knocks you out even more. To make sure it's still really a power nap, you should get up again after 20 minutes at the latest.
That's why the duration of the power nap is limited to exactly 20 minutes, because that's exactly the time span in which we transition from the first and light sleep phase to the next. If you stay longer in the land of dreams, you'll feel even more tired later.
The clock starts running as soon as you close your eyes and has nothing to do with whether you were actually asleep. -
Drink caffeine at the right time
Want to take a quick nap but don't want to give up caffeine? You don't have to! You can combine both benefits. Caffeine takes between 20 and 30 minutes to kick in. If you drink your coffee right before your nap, you have the perfect combo for a long afternoon.
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Really stand up
Especially power nap beginners have problems with this. Once you've fallen asleep, you lack the motivation to get up. But now you have to be consistent! Open your eyes and get up quickly.
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Lie down
You read again and again that you can also take a power nap while sitting. That's true as far as it goes. But it's much more relaxing for our backs if we sit up horizontally. Our intervertebral discs and spine already have enough to do because of all the sitting in the office.
And by the way: If you want to sleep sitting up, you need longer to fall asleep. If you only have 20 minutes, it's more of a hindrance. After all, it's about every minute :) -
Avoid disturbances
Cell phone, laptop, TV and co. have no place during a power nap! Turn off or silence everything that could rob you of sleep. There is nothing worse than a ringing cell phone after the first 10 minutes.
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Breathe calmly and evenly
Breathing has a very big impact on our rest. So when you take a nap, you need to make sure that you breathe calmly and regularly.
If you find this difficult, you can imagine a passing cloud. With your conscious breathing you push it aside together with disturbing thoughts. -
Choose the right time
The optimal time for the power nap is between 1 and 2 pm.
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Go in search of the right place
If you want to fall asleep quickly, you need the right place to sleep. You should avoid noise and light at all costs. Headphones, a sleep mask and relaxing music can work wonders.
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Turn off restless thoughts
When am I supposed to make up for the time I sleep? After all, naps are only for people who have nothing to do. I'd better get ready for the meeting. - Just switch off such thoughts! After the power nap you are much more productive and can make up for the "lost" time very quickly. You will need less time for the same tasks.
By the way, you can leave such thoughts behind if you concentrate on your heartbeat and breathing. If that doesn't help, reach for relaxation music :) -
Do not just close your eyes
To feel the positive effects of a power nap, you should really sleep and not just close your eyes. Sleeping on cue is not easy. But you can learn to do it. If you do it regularly, your body will get used to it. You will be able to fall asleep faster and faster.
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Have patience
To learn power snapping, you need patience. It does not work overnight. The best time to start is when you have little stress. Weekends and vacations are good times to start.
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Do not schedule important appointments after the nap
There should be at least an hour between power nap and appointment. This only stresses you out and can delay falling asleep.
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Slowly coming back from dreamland
Be sure to set an alarm clock with a pleasant ringtone. Something gentle that doesn't brutally jolt you out of sleep. You know how Albert Einstein did it? He put an object in his hand - when it falls out of his hand, it's time to get up.
Our conclusion:
Once you've got the power snapping out of the way, it's hard to imagine everyday life without it. Your eyes become clearer, you no longer feel so drained, and you're ready for many new tasks.
Ideally, you have the opportunity to take a power nap in the office or during your lunch break. If not, the weekends are a good time.
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