5 ms·

short afternoon naps at the workplace improved an overall index of outcomes by 0.12 standard deviations, with significant increases in productivity,

by TekMol 6y ago

short afternoon naps at the workplace improved an overall index of outcomes by 0.12 standard deviations, with significant increases in productivity, psychological well-being, and cognition Is it possible to learn that? To me it seems impossible to do a "short nap". Even when I feel low energy, I don't feel like I could just lay down and sleep during the day.

th0ma5 6y ago
I was always told to avoid naps, but if you must do like 90 minutes. But in general you ideally want regular good amounts of sleep daily at the same times.
fendy3002 6y ago
Seems like different for each person and activities / health. For me it's easier if I was sleep deprived after several nights, and when I've not exercised for long.
barry-cotter 6y ago
> Is it possible to learn that? To me it seems impossible to do a "short nap". Yes. If you have to look after an infant you too may discover how wonderful 12 minutes, or seven, of closing your eyes can be. Did I sleep? Maybe, but I definitely feel better.
dtjohnnyb 6y ago
I was in the same boat until I had a baby who was a _terrible_ sleeper during the night. Once I was down to 4-5 hours sleep a night, napping during the day was heaven! Sometimes I'd have had too much coffee or been overstimulated through work or something, I found [these tips from the military](https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-trick-soldiers-use-to-fall-asleep-in-minutes-in-even-most-uncomfortable-situations.html https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-trick-soldiers-use-...) really helpful. Even now, I pretty much only need to relax my jaw and do a few rounds of 4-7-8 breathing and I can have a nap on demand!
larsrc 6y ago
Yes. I do 20 minutes of nap most afternoons, and it helps immensely. Though "nap" is a misnomer, I don't actually try to sleep, just sit or lie comfortably with my eyes closed and as few noises and interruptions as possible. A 20 minute timer has taught my body to get ready to work again after exactly 20 minutes. The goal is to let the mind relax for a bit.
_pastel 6y ago
Yes! It just takes practice. I started out finding a comfortable position and relaxing with a timer set for 15 minutes. After years of practice, I now hit REM almost immediately and wake up feeling rested without a timer in 15-20 minutes. It's easier for your body to learn if you have a specific place (e.g. a coach), time (e.g. immediately after lunch), and position (I cross my ankles and steeple my hands on my chest). These make it feel qualitatively different from night sleeping and easier to wake up naturally. You also want to pay attention to sound and light. I use noise-cancelling headphones at work and earplugs + white noise at home. I choose a well-lit area, preferably with natural lighting, and then cover my eyes with a cloth or sleep mask. It's easier to feel refreshed when you uncover your eyes to bright sunshine, rather than waking up in a fully dark room. Honestly, the main challenge is feeling self-conscious when napping at work. Originally I would lock myself in a shower room or go out to my car, but I'm finally self-confident enough to sleep on a public coach.
namelosw 6y ago
It's easy. In China most people do that at noon, even there's no bed around. People usually take a 20 mins nap at their desks. Preferably after lunch because it's easier to fall asleep because the blood sugar would rise after eating. Sleep at a desk might not be the most comfortable thing, but it's not bad at all once you're used to it. Or get a small bed around if you can. Sleep masks are surprisingly helpful, too. Just relax and don't be upset if you cannot fall asleep fast, even if you can't fall asleep you'll find yourself more productive in the afternoon - it's like an implicit meditation. There are also times that people only actually sleep like 5 minutes out of 20, but it usually subjectively feels much longer than '5 minutes' because time feels longer when sleeping and it's very refreshing. As time goes by it will become a habit and you'll fall asleep fast. The downside is you are likely to feel worse if you have things to do at noon and miss the nap. IMO the best thing about taking nap at noon is it reduces the fear of sleeping too little at night because you know you can more or less take a nap and get a partial reset at noon.
- nednar 6y ago
  Why do you associate high blood sugar with more sleep? Could it also be something else, like the cooking oil used with the veggies and meat/tofu?
  - namelosw 6y ago
    > Why do you associate high blood sugar with more sleep? Maybe I'm wrong on the causation but I feel more sleepy if I eat more carbohydrate. > Could it also be something else, like the cooking oil used with the veggies and meat/tofu? Anything would do, it's just simply harder to sleep with empty stomach =P
nednar 6y ago
It might need some training, but it's possible. Especially when you are very tired from sleeping only 5-6 hours every day, it should be very possible have a very deep sleep even in a 20 minute "nap" (i.e., a real sleep loop that gets broken unhappily after 20 minutes).

by TekMol 6y ago

th0ma5 6y ago

I was always told to avoid naps, but if you must do like 90 minutes. But in general you ideally want regular good amounts of sleep daily at the same times.

fendy3002 6y ago

Seems like different for each person and activities / health. For me it's easier if I was sleep deprived after several nights, and when I've not exercised for long.

barry-cotter 6y ago

> Is it possible to learn that? To me it seems impossible to do a "short nap". Yes. If you have to look after an infant you too may discover how wonderful 12 minutes, or seven, of closing your eyes can be. Did I sleep? Maybe, but I definitely feel better.

dtjohnnyb 6y ago

I was in the same boat until I had a baby who was a _terrible_ sleeper during the night. Once I was down to 4-5 hours sleep a night, napping during the day was heaven! Sometimes I'd have had too much coffee or been overstimulated through work or something, I found [these tips from the military](https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-trick-soldiers-use-to-fall-asleep-in-minutes-in-even-most-uncomfortable-situations.html https://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/the-trick-soldiers-use-...) really helpful. Even now, I pretty much only need to relax my jaw and do a few rounds of 4-7-8 breathing and I can have a nap on demand!

larsrc 6y ago

Yes. I do 20 minutes of nap most afternoons, and it helps immensely. Though "nap" is a misnomer, I don't actually try to sleep, just sit or lie comfortably with my eyes closed and as few noises and interruptions as possible. A 20 minute timer has taught my body to get ready to work again after exactly 20 minutes. The goal is to let the mind relax for a bit.

_pastel 6y ago

Yes! It just takes practice. I started out finding a comfortable position and relaxing with a timer set for 15 minutes. After years of practice, I now hit REM almost immediately and wake up feeling rested without a timer in 15-20 minutes. It's easier for your body to learn if you have a specific place (e.g. a coach), time (e.g. immediately after lunch), and position (I cross my ankles and steeple my hands on my chest). These make it feel qualitatively different from night sleeping and easier to wake up naturally. You also want to pay attention to sound and light. I use noise-cancelling headphones at work and earplugs + white noise at home. I choose a well-lit area, preferably with natural lighting, and then cover my eyes with a cloth or sleep mask. It's easier to feel refreshed when you uncover your eyes to bright sunshine, rather than waking up in a fully dark room. Honestly, the main challenge is feeling self-conscious when napping at work. Originally I would lock myself in a shower room or go out to my car, but I'm finally self-confident enough to sleep on a public coach.

namelosw 6y ago

It's easy. In China most people do that at noon, even there's no bed around. People usually take a 20 mins nap at their desks. Preferably after lunch because it's easier to fall asleep because the blood sugar would rise after eating. Sleep at a desk might not be the most comfortable thing, but it's not bad at all once you're used to it. Or get a small bed around if you can. Sleep masks are surprisingly helpful, too. Just relax and don't be upset if you cannot fall asleep fast, even if you can't fall asleep you'll find yourself more productive in the afternoon - it's like an implicit meditation. There are also times that people only actually sleep like 5 minutes out of 20, but it usually subjectively feels much longer than '5 minutes' because time feels longer when sleeping and it's very refreshing. As time goes by it will become a habit and you'll fall asleep fast. The downside is you are likely to feel worse if you have things to do at noon and miss the nap. IMO the best thing about taking nap at noon is it reduces the fear of sleeping too little at night because you know you can more or less take a nap and get a partial reset at noon.

nednar 6y ago
Why do you associate high blood sugar with more sleep? Could it also be something else, like the cooking oil used with the veggies and meat/tofu?
- namelosw 6y ago
  > Why do you associate high blood sugar with more sleep? Maybe I'm wrong on the causation but I feel more sleepy if I eat more carbohydrate. > Could it also be something else, like the cooking oil used with the veggies and meat/tofu? Anything would do, it's just simply harder to sleep with empty stomach =P

nednar 6y ago

It might need some training, but it's possible. Especially when you are very tired from sleeping only 5-6 hours every day, it should be very possible have a very deep sleep even in a 20 minute "nap" (i.e., a real sleep loop that gets broken unhappily after 20 minutes).