How to Take the Perfect Power Nap at Work

A third ofAmericans don’t get enough sleep, leading to irritability, distractedness,and sloppiness — none of which help with productivity. Even thewell-rested typically experience an energy dip between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Butthere's hope: Research shows a power nap can make your brain effectiveagain. 

And the perfectlength is just 10 minutes. 

By having such ashort nap — suitable for a one-person “meeting” you book for yourself in thenearest conference room — you’re able to avoid sleep inertia, that groggy feeling you getupon waking from deep sleep.

This is becausesleep happens in two main cycles: non-rapid eye movement (NREM) and rapid eyemovement (REM) sleep. As the Wall Street Journal reports, NREM itself has twoparts: a light sleep and slow-wave sleep, which is the deepest kind of sleep.Then there’s REM, where you do most of your dreaming. 

The key to thepower nap, then, is to sidestep slow-wave and REM sleep, both of whichlead to sleep inertia. Take note: If you’re dreaming during that 10-minutesession, you’ve immediately fallen into REM sleep, a sign that you’re notgetting enough sleep at night, so you should get more.

But in mostcases, you’ll wake from a 10-minute nap feeling crisp and refreshed,rather than all sleepy-drunk, research finds.

In a recent study bypsychologist Leon Lack of Flinders University in Australia, 24 participantswere asked to take naps ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes. Upon awaking,each person was given a range of mental processing tasks. 

The 10-minutenappers had the quickest wits. Their alertness was apparent “rightaway,” Lack tells the Journal, and the benefits of the nap continued for atleast the next two hours. On the other hand, the 20- and 30-minute nappers weregroggy for at least half an hour upon waking.

Whether youdecide to power nap at your desk, in a conference room, in a parked car, orlying on a couch, the key is to sit slightly upright. Then you can avoiddeep sleep and spring back into action. 

Article Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-take-the-perfect-power-nap-at-work-2014-4

Image Source: http://cdn.sheknows.com/articles/2011/09/woman-yawning-in-the-office.jpg

1. Power nap (n.) ~ a short sleeptaken during the working day in order to restore one’s mental alertness 

2. Irritable (adj.) ~ easily irritatedor annoyed  

3. Distractedness (n.) ~ a state ofbeing distracted 

4. Sloppiness (n.) ~ lack of order andtidiness  

5. Groggy (adj.) ~ unsteady and shaky  

6. Sidestep (v.) ~ to avoid an issueor responsibility  

7. Wit (n.) ~ the natural ability toperceive and understand 

8. Spring back (idiom) ~ to recoverquickly and completely  

QUESTIONS FORDISCUSSION:

1. Are you allowed to take power napsin your office? If yes, how often do you do it and how do you feel afterwards?If no, how would you convince the management to allow power naps? 

2. What are the benefits of power nap? 

3. Do you think that power nap shouldbe encouraged in Korean companies and government offices? Why?