7 ms·

I recommend 15-21 minutes naps. After a period of adjustment, they work like magic in resetting mental fatigue. And, bonus points, if the nap period is always t

I recommend 15-21 minutes naps. After a period of adjustment, they work like magic in resetting mental fatigue. And, bonus points, if the nap period is always the same (21 minutes in my case), you will wake up before the alarm. Speaking of the alarm, I suggest using an alarm that gradually increases in volume, starting from zero.

cloudripper 4y ago
Naptime is my favorite pastime. That said, I've also found mindfulness meditation for the same amount of time serves as an equivalent mental reset without the added drowsiness I occasionally get from naps.
grugagag 4y ago
Only possible if you’re not required to be in an office
- cloudripper 4y ago
  Only if your colleagues are suspicious of you sitting painfully still at the computer with sunglasses on and a noodle neck.
  - grugagag 4y ago
    And a single snore can get you fired? I sometimes snore and couldn’t do that. Also knowing it’s culturally not accepted in work environments would not allow me to relax, sleep and recharge.
- Matumio 4y ago
  Some offices have a separate room for meditation or stretching or a short nap or whatever.
- zmmmmm 4y ago
  one of my biggest reasons to want to keep WFH! I always think if I ever built a company from ground up we'd have a set of sleeping pods with 15 minute timers in them and actively encourage staff to use them several times a day. If not to sleep, meditate etc.
shswkna 4y ago
I do exactly this and have been doing for some time. It gets me through those demanding days where I need to show results. My “magic” nap time is 13 minutes.
topoftheforts 4y ago
any advice on falling asleep quickly? I love naps but most times it take me 30+ minutes just to fall asleep (+ feeling groggy when I wake up) so a 15min nap would often take an hour of my day
- sowbug 4y ago
  Set a timer for 25 minutes. Lie or sit somewhere with an eye mask on. When the alarm goes off, get back to work. Repeat until successful. Your body will learn that the "30+ minutes just to fall asleep" count against the rest time. The eye mask tells your brain it's sleepy time, and if you're at the office also tells others not to interrupt you.
  - GeoAtreides 4y ago
    Exactly this, OP. Eventually you will fall asleep, the brain will slowly adapt.
- ycombinete 4y ago
  I could never nap. After I quit caffeine I could nap on command at any time of the day. Also a nap doesn’t have to be a deep sleep. Just a period of short and deliberate rest for the mind.
- marcusverus 4y ago
  Not OP, but I'll take a swing at this. I do 15-20 minute "naps" on a regular basis. I find them to be equally refreshing regardless of whether I actually fall asleep. If I do fall asleep, it's normally only for a minute or two. As far as I can tell, the refreshing effect of a catnap doesn't come from sleeping, but from spending at least a couple of minutes in that weird twilight state that precedes sleep. That doesn't quite solve your problem, so here are a few things that help me fall asleep quickly: 1) Try to plan your naps so that you avoid stimulating activities immediately beforehand. If you try to nap right after gaming/doomscrolling/social media, your mind will be abuzz and it'll take much longer. 2) Nap in darkness. If you can't turn off the lights, put on an eye mask or pull your hat over your eyes. 3) Stimulating sounds can pull you back into wakefulness. Mask them by listening to white noise. 4) If you have trouble quieting your mind when it's time to sleep, try doing a handful of Vipassana meditation sessions. I found the practice of observing and dismissing thoughts as they arise to be really helpful when trying to clear my mind and fall asleep. 5) Don't sleep where you play. If you watch TV, use social media, or do other stimulating stuff in bed, your mind may be expecting some sort of stimulation (like Pavlov's dog) when you get into bed, which can make it harder to sleep. Either quit doing that stuff in bed, or sleep somewhere that lacks the pavlovian baggage.
rsolva 4y ago
This has been my superpower for a ling time. I do not need to fall asleep, just close my eyes for 15 or 20 minuttes. I have used the free sleep/nap app Pzizz since 2008. Having the same sleep-in routine primes my brain for a nap.

cloudripper 4y ago

Naptime is my favorite pastime. That said, I've also found mindfulness meditation for the same amount of time serves as an equivalent mental reset without the added drowsiness I occasionally get from naps.

grugagag 4y ago

Only possible if you’re not required to be in an office

cloudripper 4y ago
Only if your colleagues are suspicious of you sitting painfully still at the computer with sunglasses on and a noodle neck.
- grugagag 4y ago
  And a single snore can get you fired? I sometimes snore and couldn’t do that. Also knowing it’s culturally not accepted in work environments would not allow me to relax, sleep and recharge.
Matumio 4y ago
Some offices have a separate room for meditation or stretching or a short nap or whatever.
zmmmmm 4y ago
one of my biggest reasons to want to keep WFH! I always think if I ever built a company from ground up we'd have a set of sleeping pods with 15 minute timers in them and actively encourage staff to use them several times a day. If not to sleep, meditate etc.

shswkna 4y ago

I do exactly this and have been doing for some time. It gets me through those demanding days where I need to show results. My “magic” nap time is 13 minutes.

topoftheforts 4y ago

any advice on falling asleep quickly? I love naps but most times it take me 30+ minutes just to fall asleep (+ feeling groggy when I wake up) so a 15min nap would often take an hour of my day

sowbug 4y ago
Set a timer for 25 minutes. Lie or sit somewhere with an eye mask on. When the alarm goes off, get back to work. Repeat until successful. Your body will learn that the "30+ minutes just to fall asleep" count against the rest time. The eye mask tells your brain it's sleepy time, and if you're at the office also tells others not to interrupt you.
- GeoAtreides 4y ago
  Exactly this, OP. Eventually you will fall asleep, the brain will slowly adapt.
ycombinete 4y ago
I could never nap. After I quit caffeine I could nap on command at any time of the day. Also a nap doesn’t have to be a deep sleep. Just a period of short and deliberate rest for the mind.
marcusverus 4y ago
Not OP, but I'll take a swing at this. I do 15-20 minute "naps" on a regular basis. I find them to be equally refreshing regardless of whether I actually fall asleep. If I do fall asleep, it's normally only for a minute or two. As far as I can tell, the refreshing effect of a catnap doesn't come from sleeping, but from spending at least a couple of minutes in that weird twilight state that precedes sleep. That doesn't quite solve your problem, so here are a few things that help me fall asleep quickly: 1) Try to plan your naps so that you avoid stimulating activities immediately beforehand. If you try to nap right after gaming/doomscrolling/social media, your mind will be abuzz and it'll take much longer. 2) Nap in darkness. If you can't turn off the lights, put on an eye mask or pull your hat over your eyes. 3) Stimulating sounds can pull you back into wakefulness. Mask them by listening to white noise. 4) If you have trouble quieting your mind when it's time to sleep, try doing a handful of Vipassana meditation sessions. I found the practice of observing and dismissing thoughts as they arise to be really helpful when trying to clear my mind and fall asleep. 5) Don't sleep where you play. If you watch TV, use social media, or do other stimulating stuff in bed, your mind may be expecting some sort of stimulation (like Pavlov's dog) when you get into bed, which can make it harder to sleep. Either quit doing that stuff in bed, or sleep somewhere that lacks the pavlovian baggage.

rsolva 4y ago

This has been my superpower for a ling time. I do not need to fall asleep, just close my eyes for 15 or 20 minuttes. I have used the free sleep/nap app Pzizz since 2008. Having the same sleep-in routine primes my brain for a nap.