Workaholics Sleep Their Way to the Top
This post is for the workaholics. You know who you are (and if you don't, you may want to ask yourself a few questions to see if this applies to you.) Since this is National Work and Family Month, you may be expecting some platitudinous reminders, like, "man cannot live by work alone," or "you should be working to live, not living to work." You won't find any of those here.
If you want to be a workaholic, more power to you, so long as you don't run yourself ragged. What's the best way to keep yourself at least close to 100 percent? Power naps. If you live in NYC, you can pop on over to MetroNaps and catch a few winks in an Energy Pod. If your neighborhood hasn't yet adopted the trend, then you'll need to be a little more resourceful.
- Choose time between 1:00 and 3:00 PM. This is when people feel a biological need to recharge their batteries. Keep it between 15 and 30 minutes so you don't fall into a deep sleep.
- Consume protein or calcium before nodding off, but stay away from foods that make sleep difficult, like caffeine, fat, carbohydrates, or sugar.
- If you need to, nap in secret (as opposed to clutching your blanky in the break room, reclining in your car, or nodding off in a massage chair at Sharper Image.) Put a yoga mat under your desk, or even just close your eyes for a few minutes in the restroom.
- Take a meditation nap. You can reap the benefits with just as little as five minutes. Just stretch your arms and legs, close your eyes, engage in some deep breathing, and allow yourself to relax without actually falling asleep.
- Consider extreme napping -- instead of forgoing sleep altogether -- if you're on a deadline. You can take a 1 1/2-hour nap every eight hours over 24 hours instead of getting all your sleep at once, but use this method only when absolutely necessary; some people get sick as a result.