A lot of research and productivity articles have testified to the wonderful discovery called napping.
Though there are many types of naps, I prefer the 20-minute one, proven to provide improved alertness.
I want to share five benefits I gain from naps!
It resets my day!
Research shows that the first two hours of the morning are the most productive hours. During these hours, one is capable of eating frogs.
However, the morning motivation wanes after office work, chores, or procrastination.
By 11AM, I am out of juice!
Napping is a reset button. I typically take a 20-minute nap in the afternoon, an hour after lunch break. I set the alarm on my phone and try to steady my thoughts into rest.
After some time, I hear a beeping sound – the signal that the second part of my day has begun.
It is a redemption afternoon, good for completing morning tasks that are urgent or for catching-up on reading.
It adds to my night sleep hours.
Science has measured the required sleep hours humans need to function well. Typically, I have 7 hours of night sleep, particularly now that I write at home.
Some nights, though, I sleep late into the night. I may come home from heavy traffic, or have a date with my girlfriend.
Afternoon napping adds another 20-30 minutes to my sleep bank. The lack in sleep hours the night before are supplemented by the afternoon nap I take in the middle of the day.
It rests my eyes…and more!
Screens hurt the eyes – the windows that help behold the beauty of the world around us. I often write directly into my laptop for storage and pace purposes, exposing my eyes for as long as the task is incomplete.
During five-minute Pomodoro breaks, I close my eyes for quick rests. By doing so, I take care of my eyes. However, after this, my brain is still cluttered from the last session’s task.
Napping reinforces the benefits of closing my eyes and adds productivity value. After napping, my eyes feel refreshed because of being closed for an extended period of time.
It is a buffer for personal time within the work day.
I look at a day and divide it into three 8-hour phases: work, recreation, and rest. I try to respect the boundaries of these phases.
I will not write professionally on my family time. I also prevent burnout by spending real hours on wasting time.
However, because of waning motivation and energy throughout the workday, I can get bored and distracted.
Napping gives me a pass for spending personal time during work time! Because I treat naps as reinforcement for motivation, I allow myself to do it on official work time!
It likens me to productivity giants!
Many of the most popular people in history value naps highly: Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein.
Google’s Julia Rozovsky proposed a nap room as a business venture. The Art of Manliness gives a glimpse of famous leaders going for a short snooze.
The fact that I take naps makes me feel like one of them!
Napping was one of the controversial topics Dr. Jose Rizal detailed in his “Indolence of the Filipino.”
I echo Dr. Rizal – naps are rewards for productivity.
Naps have helped me accomplish more during the day.
Naps give me the midday boost and the eye rest I need.
Question
Do you nap? What benefits do you get from naps?