Caffeine and Power Naps
As much as I’d like to be one of Steve Pavlina’s polyphasic mutants, its not a sleeep structure I beleive will work with my job and family lifestyle. The basic gist of a polyhasic sleep schedule is to take many small naps throughout the day instead of a large chunk of time in the evenings. Mr. Pavlina indicates that after 90 days he sees no reason to switch back to being a hibernating “bear” in a monophasic sleep schedule. He has the advantage of setting his own work schedule (as he is self employed) and has only 1 young daughter. I don’t think it will work out for me.
One component of the polyphasic sleep schedule which has always run true for me, however, is the idea of a short nap: the so-called Power Naps. My first experiences with the power nap were with my dad. Each day, after returning home from the office to eat lunch, he would relax in his recliner. He would fall asleep until his office called for him. He would get up and go to his appointment none the worse for wear.
Having seen his example, I started the same technique in college. With classes scheduled around a central lunch break, I had time to squeeze in a quick snooze before afternoon class. I crashed on the couch in our apartment in favor of my bed… I didn’t want to be too comfortable and oversleep. Actually, I didn’t use an alarm clock; my internal clock was able to wake me up in 20 minutes every time. These refreshing naps recharged my mind and body and made long days of classes bearable.
These days I don’t take specific time for power napping unless I feel particularly drowsy. I feel a bit weird about it, so my particular method is to leave my employer’s property and park somewhere relatively quiet. I set the alarm on my cell phone for 20 minutes and crash. I find taking a half hour out of my afternoon for a nap is much more effective than other methods of trying to stay awake. Its certainly a better policy than incoherent time “on the clock”.
My understanding is that another coworker uses the same technique, although I’ve never talked to him about it. Some companies have seen the benefits of the power nap and even provide “relaxation rooms” for their employees. Nike is one of the biggest companies to give this benefit to its employees. There are other enlightened companies, especially in transportation, that encourage quick nap breaks.
One tweak to the power nap I recently came across is the Caffeine Nap. With this technique, you drink a cup of coffee followed by a nap chaser. The caffeine clears the drowiness during your sleep leaving you more alert afterward. I can vouch for the caffeine nap — I used to do it all the time. My routine was a little different, though, since I used it as a wake-up technique. I’d set my first alarm for an hour earlier than I needed to be up. When it went off, I’d turn on the coffee maker I prepared the evening before. I’d cool the coffee down with ice when it was ready, and drink it as quickly as I could. Once finished, I’d climb back into bed and fell back asleep. The second alarm would wake me at the time I needed to get up. I’d get up and be fully awake the second time.
One final note about power napping: get a clock with a nap button. This brilliant feature lets you set a nap alarm with one button click. I have an Emerson Alarm Clock with Nap Timer. This clock has given me a couple of problems with the regular alarms not going off and the radio turning on when I turn them on. It is also blindingly bright — I turn it toward the wall to be able to sleep. But the nap button! It makes all the other foibles disappear. You might have more luck with the Neverlate 7-day Alarm Clock.
Here are a couple of resources I’ve found on the subject of power napping:
- Pzizz.com’s power napping page.
- Luxe Vivant’s Who is Napping page.
(hat tip: Randomize’s Caffeine Nap)
4 Comments
- Dan said:
- » Tim Ferriss digs the Caffeine Power Nap! - uhri.com said:
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- » Power napping - uhri.com said: