It’s Nap Time
Last week’s big news story (for me, anyway) was about how on-the-job naps are healthy for you — in fact, according to one Greek study, naps in the workplace might even help your heart by reducing stress. Why hadn’t anyone thought of this before, a midday nap? What a concept! I’m trying to come up with a name for it. Let me see, let me see . . . you sort of “sequester” yourself when you take these naps, so possibly we can base this new word on “sequester” . . . only I don’t like “quest” being in there, it‘s too active; maybe if we were to mute that down a little, we could get something like “see-ester.” And then, being from Boston, I’d like to show my hometown spirit by accenting it to “see-estah.” There! What do you think? I like it. It’s a work in progress — your suggestions are welcome.
I have long believed in the five minute, afternoon catnap. Less than five minutes is not long enough, yet anything longer than five minutes can zonk you out for the rest of the day. My batteries tend to run low somewhere between 1:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon. If I get so tired I need to use one hand to hold my eyelids up, what I typically do is close the door to my office, lay down on my back on the carpet, rest my head on my hands with fingers interlaced, and drift off into a shallow snooze until I’m awakened by my own snort. I stay there for another thirty seconds for the cobwebs to clear, and then I uncertainly get back on my feet like a newborn colt first struggling to stand. Before you know it, I’m back at it, refreshed and ready to attack the rest of the day.
How do you view napping at work? Is it okay, or do you hold fast to the old school, American work ethic and think it’s wrong as sin? Is it better hazy than lazy with you? Do you think snooze eventually leads to booze? Should it be forty hours, not forty winks? Or is there something to this nap business? Do you, in fact, nap yourself? Confess! Confess!
I have long believed in the five minute, afternoon catnap. Less than five minutes is not long enough, yet anything longer than five minutes can zonk you out for the rest of the day. My batteries tend to run low somewhere between 1:30 and 3:00 in the afternoon. If I get so tired I need to use one hand to hold my eyelids up, what I typically do is close the door to my office, lay down on my back on the carpet, rest my head on my hands with fingers interlaced, and drift off into a shallow snooze until I’m awakened by my own snort. I stay there for another thirty seconds for the cobwebs to clear, and then I uncertainly get back on my feet like a newborn colt first struggling to stand. Before you know it, I’m back at it, refreshed and ready to attack the rest of the day.
How do you view napping at work? Is it okay, or do you hold fast to the old school, American work ethic and think it’s wrong as sin? Is it better hazy than lazy with you? Do you think snooze eventually leads to booze? Should it be forty hours, not forty winks? Or is there something to this nap business? Do you, in fact, nap yourself? Confess! Confess!
posted by mr. schprock at 1:35 PM
10 Comments:
The snort method works well for me...however sometimes I sleep past that. Fortunately for me the fart method works to wake up or otherwise alert my co-worker(s), who then make such a racket trying to vacate the area that I wake up quite nicely.
Word verification for my nest comment...
"LHIRTU" (lower case)
So don't mess with me.
"...next comment...not "nest." SHEESH!
A cousin of mine once told me, "I used to plan my naps around my work schedule, now I schedule work around my nap."
I find that if I nap, I can't sleep at night, so I try not to unless I'm completely wiped. Of course I take a Sunday afternoon nap almost religiously so it kinda keeps me caught up.
LSHIS!
No? Just trying it out.
If CEOs can leave their office to golf all day, then employees taking five mintue naps shouldn't be an issue - unless you're a prison guard or a fork lift operator or something.
I would take a nap every day if I could get away with it. However, sitting at the front desk makes that a little difficult. Plus, if I take a nap, I have to set an alarm or I sleep for hours, and an alarm kinda clues in the bosses.
I applaud the idea of a nap, but I don't think I could actually go through with it. I've been in the habit of camping at Starbucks and writing for an hour at lunch. It's almost the only alone time I have, unless you count the first two to three hours of work.
Like LL, I have found that if I nap, I can't sleep at night which is most frustrating. But I've never tried the five minute nap. And like Trina, I have to set the alarm or I won't wake up and then it's groggy city.
Hell to the no on being a napper. I don't like it and I don't believe in it. I always think midday nappers are slackers. From who I've encountered in my life, those that were napping were lazy. I think it's the diet that make people tired. Too many carbs. Not enough protein. I also think it's exercise as well. Like a piece of cheese and a walk would do a helluva lot more for you than 5 minutes sleep. This from a person who suffers from insomnia, which thankfully is getting better!
I give myself a choice: nap or lunch, not both. If I take a short nap (I'm working from home now, so I can even choose the bed if I want) I have water for lunch, then a good dinner. It's working well so far. I conserve energy by not having to fake interesting small talk with co-workers.
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