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In my experience, even better than a 30 minute nap is a 15-30 minute Non-sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or yoga nidra session (popularized by Andrew Huberman). It's a g

In my experience, even better than a 30 minute nap is a 15-30 minute Non-sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or yoga nidra session (popularized by Andrew Huberman). It's a guided meditation of sorts where you do a body scan; as the narrator names different body parts you place your attention on the sensation at that body part. By occupying your mind on physical sensation, in conjunction with slow, deep breaths, you're able to consistently and efficiently achieve a relaxed, restful state. So at noon I set my slack status to avocado emoji "eating lunch," pop a caffeine pill, then lay down with an eye mask and noise cancelling headphones for half an hour while an Australian woman tells me what to feel.

DoingIsLearning 3y ago
> So at noon I set my slack status to avocado emoji "eating lunch," pop a caffeine pill, then lay down with an eye mask and noise cancelling headphones for half an hour while an Australian woman tells me what to feel. This sounds like something a 2020 Patrick Bateman's would write.
- firecall 3y ago
  I used do it, but with Ritalin! (Prescription for ADHD) Smiling Mind app, sit in my car, nice and relaxed and quiet. It made my corporate afternoons tolerable and productive, and avoided the post lunch time lull!
keyle 3y ago
Huh, that is definitely not the same as napping... "popping a caffeine pill"?
- zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
  The caffeine takes about half an hour to kick in. When I was in college I would drink a cup of coffee then take a half hour nap. I woke up feeling great and ready to work.
- tjbiddle 3y ago
  I expect as the caffeine takes a while to metabolize. They'll get the rest naturally from their body, and about 30 minutes later when they're ready to wake up - the caffeine will also be kicking in to give a nice jump start.
- firecall 3y ago
  A study I read yonks ago concluded that consuming caffeine and then taking a short nap made it very effective at increasing productivity.
- scns 3y ago
  A coffee nap has a stronger effect than coffee or nap alone. For me a nap is enough, usually set the timer to 12 minutes but feel energized after 10. Caffeine withdrawal takes two weeks but was worth it. My ADD gets worse on it. Combined with Methylphenidat it feels like trying to drive full throttle into a dead end with a drawn handbrake.
- d8c6c050cb0a4d7 3y ago
  Here is an interesting guide from the Royal College of Physicians (UK) that recommends a caffeine nap to help with the night shift. The sections on Napping, and also the section on Caffeine are interesting. The gist of it is the caffeine will take 20 minutes or so to take effect, so by combining it with a short nap you get a double whammy. https://www.dgeducationcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Night_work_booklet_.pdf https://www.dgeducationcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/...
kristiandupont 3y ago
I generated this 15 minutes audio file 20 years ago and it's still my go-to for quick meditation breaks. It never fails to put me into a trance. [link redacted]
- adamors 3y ago
  Very interesting, thanks for sharing
- somedude895 3y ago
  Thanks, trying this out right now on my lunch break. What's the idea behind this overlayed helicopter sound?
  - kristiandupont 3y ago
    Well, the software that I generated it with says it's "brainwaves". I remember reading up on it back in the day and I couldn't figure out if it was woo woo or something with proper scientific backing. I have since then tried a number of apps that claim to do the same but which don't work for me. This piece of audio works for me, so that's why I keep it around :-)
firecall 3y ago
The Australian Smiling Mind app is excellent for this! I’d sit in my car at lunch time and do a body scan. It helped when in corporate land.
fsckboy 3y ago
> In my experience, even better than a 30 minute nap is a 15-30 minute Non-sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or yoga nidra session this is a published study that measured physical brain size over the long term, and not a suggestion that you'll feel better. What you are suggesting is not comparable in any way.
pantulis 3y ago
I'm not sure if it's NSDR but my best naps are those where I'm not sure if I've been asleep or not. After lunch, I just put the mid day news on TV and close my eyes while listening to the presenters.
Melatonic 3y ago
Why the caffeine? Is that not counter productive? If you do find that beneficial you might want to try the nicer japanese green teas - they have higher amounts of L-Theanine which has relaxing effects on the brain (and of course caffeine as well). Works much better for focus than just caffeine alone in my case
- cyberbanjo 3y ago
  Caffeine naps are awesome, you just have to fall asleep before the caffeine wakes you up, but you wake up caffeinated. If I do it too tired though, I can sleep past my alarm, caffeine won't necessarily wake me up from a sleep, but will make me feel very groggy if I don't wake up before it's peak is passed.

DoingIsLearning 3y ago

> So at noon I set my slack status to avocado emoji "eating lunch," pop a caffeine pill, then lay down with an eye mask and noise cancelling headphones for half an hour while an Australian woman tells me what to feel. This sounds like something a 2020 Patrick Bateman's would write.

firecall 3y ago
I used do it, but with Ritalin! (Prescription for ADHD) Smiling Mind app, sit in my car, nice and relaxed and quiet. It made my corporate afternoons tolerable and productive, and avoided the post lunch time lull!

keyle 3y ago

Huh, that is definitely not the same as napping... "popping a caffeine pill"?

zoklet-enjoyer 3y ago
The caffeine takes about half an hour to kick in. When I was in college I would drink a cup of coffee then take a half hour nap. I woke up feeling great and ready to work.
tjbiddle 3y ago
I expect as the caffeine takes a while to metabolize. They'll get the rest naturally from their body, and about 30 minutes later when they're ready to wake up - the caffeine will also be kicking in to give a nice jump start.
firecall 3y ago
A study I read yonks ago concluded that consuming caffeine and then taking a short nap made it very effective at increasing productivity.
scns 3y ago
A coffee nap has a stronger effect than coffee or nap alone. For me a nap is enough, usually set the timer to 12 minutes but feel energized after 10. Caffeine withdrawal takes two weeks but was worth it. My ADD gets worse on it. Combined with Methylphenidat it feels like trying to drive full throttle into a dead end with a drawn handbrake.
d8c6c050cb0a4d7 3y ago
Here is an interesting guide from the Royal College of Physicians (UK) that recommends a caffeine nap to help with the night shift. The sections on Napping, and also the section on Caffeine are interesting. The gist of it is the caffeine will take 20 minutes or so to take effect, so by combining it with a short nap you get a double whammy. https://www.dgeducationcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Night_work_booklet_.pdf https://www.dgeducationcentre.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/...

kristiandupont 3y ago

I generated this 15 minutes audio file 20 years ago and it's still my go-to for quick meditation breaks. It never fails to put me into a trance. [link redacted]

adamors 3y ago
Very interesting, thanks for sharing
somedude895 3y ago
Thanks, trying this out right now on my lunch break. What's the idea behind this overlayed helicopter sound?
- kristiandupont 3y ago
  Well, the software that I generated it with says it's "brainwaves". I remember reading up on it back in the day and I couldn't figure out if it was woo woo or something with proper scientific backing. I have since then tried a number of apps that claim to do the same but which don't work for me. This piece of audio works for me, so that's why I keep it around :-)

firecall 3y ago

The Australian Smiling Mind app is excellent for this! I’d sit in my car at lunch time and do a body scan. It helped when in corporate land.

fsckboy 3y ago

> In my experience, even better than a 30 minute nap is a 15-30 minute Non-sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) or yoga nidra session this is a published study that measured physical brain size over the long term, and not a suggestion that you'll feel better. What you are suggesting is not comparable in any way.

pantulis 3y ago

I'm not sure if it's NSDR but my best naps are those where I'm not sure if I've been asleep or not. After lunch, I just put the mid day news on TV and close my eyes while listening to the presenters.

Melatonic 3y ago

Why the caffeine? Is that not counter productive? If you do find that beneficial you might want to try the nicer japanese green teas - they have higher amounts of L-Theanine which has relaxing effects on the brain (and of course caffeine as well). Works much better for focus than just caffeine alone in my case

cyberbanjo 3y ago
Caffeine naps are awesome, you just have to fall asleep before the caffeine wakes you up, but you wake up caffeinated. If I do it too tired though, I can sleep past my alarm, caffeine won't necessarily wake me up from a sleep, but will make me feel very groggy if I don't wake up before it's peak is passed.