Power naps have already been proven to be useful in making you more efficient with your work. They can also help you stay alert during night or double shifts. However, you would have to follow the 5 steps that we have listed for you to experience these benefits. Take note that short naps can lead to a long sleep and you may end up getting fired once your supervisor hears you snoring from your workstation.
So, use this article as your guide in making power naps work for your advantage.
1.) Take your power naps in a comfortable place. If taking a nap during your break time is allowed inside your office, then you can sit on your desk and rest your head on your workstation. If not and you have a car where you can stay, then you can rest inside your vehicle for a while.
Make sure that you would be able to have an undisturbed nap. Sleep in a place free of any noise and don’t forget to turn your phone off.
2.) Drink a cup of coffee before you take a nap for 20 minutes. Your body is capable of fully absorbing caffeine only after 45 minutes. Thus, if you take this type of beverage before your short nap, you would certainly feel more alert after you wake up. As a result, you would be able to endure the remaining hours of your shift.
However, if your doctor has instructed you to stop drinking coffee, then you can ignore step no. 2.
3.) After doing step no. 2, set your phone to set an alarm after 15 to 25 minutes. The duration of your alarm would depend on how soon you can completely fall to sleep. So, if you’re someone who can’t doze off in an instant, then you would have to opt for a 25 minute alarm.
If you love the snooze feature so much, then place your phone far away from your bed so you would have to walk just to set off the alarm.
4.) Don’t forget to place a note outside your workstation to inform your colleagues that you are resting for a while and that they can only disturb you after your nap. Power naps may be short but you would need to completely see them through or else your efforts would be pushed down to the drain.
If you are really having difficulty in closing your eyes, then let music soothe you and eventually send you to sleep.
5.) Wake up as soon as you hear your alarm. A 30 minute nap won’t do you any good, believe me. Power naps should only last for 20 minutes or else, you would only feel lazy when you wake up. Practice discipline in taking short naps and you would certainly get all the benefits from them.
After your power nap, you can move around a little bit or even do some minor exercises for you to be fully alert. Don’t forget to wipe off that saliva from your face if there’s any.