July 17th, 2023 | Read Online​

Get a knack for naps

Recharge and rejuvenate with an afternoon siesta

The Intentional Leadership Newsletter

When I began this series on sleep, I had intended for it to run for two issues of the newsletter, but I now realize that the topic is so deep and important that I’ve added a bonus week!

You can read the previous entries here, and I added some more ideas in the comments of this LinkedIn post.

Today, let’s talk about naps.

When we were little kids, we resisted napping with all of our power.

It was understandable! Napping took away from playtime and just didn’t seem fair.

But our parents were onto something… and they’re still right.

Napping is something that I recommend to my clients - and many of them are as resistant as they were as kids.

After all, as a CEO and/or Founder, they need to be “on” and available at all hours of the day, right?

Wrong.

There’s a long list of famous nappers in history, and if it was good enough for Thomas Edison, Leonard da Vinci and Eleanor Roosevelt, it’s good enough for you.

Here are six benefits of a productive nap:

• Increased alertness and focus: Many of us have energy slumps in the afternoon - a nap is a perfect way to recharge when you begin to sag.
• Enhanced cognitive function: Napping has been shown to improve memory, learning, and problem-solving skills. After a nap, the brain is better equipped to process information and perform cognitive tasks effectively.
• Improved creativity and productivity: That problem you just can’t seem to solve? That LinkedIn post you just can’t start? Take a nap and BOOM - you’ll have some fresh ideas.
• Stress reduction: Napping can make it easier to cope with work-related pressures and challenges. A well-rested mind is better equipped to handle stressors.
• Mood enhancement: Want a more positive and proactive attitude toward work? Take a nap. Napping can improve mood and emotional well-being.
• Physical benefits: Does reduced risk of heart disease and improved immune function sound good? I would think so. Napping has been associated with these health benefits and others.

By now, I hope you’re bought into the idea of why it’s important to nap, so let’s look at how you should nap, because doing it effectively requires a bit more thought than just putting your head on a pillow.

For this section, I’m going to shamelessly borrow from Daniel Pink, who writes about taking a “nappuccino” in his terrific book “When.”

Here are his Five Secrets to Taking a Perfect Nap:

1. Find your afternoon low point. The best time for a nap is generally about seven hours after waking (to be more precise, note your afternoon mood and energy levels for a week to find your optimal nap time).
2. Create a peaceful environment. Turn off your phone notifications. If you’ve got a door, close it. If you’ve got a couch, use it.
3. Down a cup of coffee. Yes, you read that right. The most efficient nap is the “nappuccino.” Caffeine takes about 25 minutes to engage in your bloodstream, so drink up right before you lie down.
4. Set a timer for 25 minutes.Naps between 10 and 20 minutes measurably boost alertness and mental function without leaving you sleepier than before. When you wake up, the caffeine is beginning to kick in.
5. Repeat consistently. There’s evidence that habitual nappers get more from their naps than infrequent nappers, so if you have the flexibility, make an afternoon nap a regular ritual.

Daniel also writes that naps and leisurely daily walks are “not niceties, but necessities.”

I couldn’t agree more. Thanks for reading - and now… get napping!

Peter

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