Note: This guest post was written by Andy SZEN. Check out his websites: www.egodevelopment.com

A power nap is a short nap, normally between 10 and 30 minutes long, taken in the middle of the day in order to reinvigorate and refresh you for the next part of the day. Power naps are not similar to normal sleep, so you will not be groggy after taking one. While you might have “dreams”, power naps are more similar to meditation, where thoughts are allowed to move from the sub-conscious mind to the conscious mind and back again without you concentrating on them.

How to Power Nap Effectively:
- Don`t be shame – be proud of your nap, announcing your intentions in advance toworkmates or family members. Napping is great for your health and productivity.
- Choose a time of the day when you are most likely to crash, such as the mid-morning or in the middle of the afternoon. Plan to nap between 10 and 30 minutes in your quiet spot during those times. The time limits may vary depending on how much sleep your body will need to renew its energy.
- Choose a quiet, location to power nap. One thing you want to make sure is that you have a silence place that you can power nap without being interrupted or distracted by environmental factors, such as cars or ground maintenance workers. If you choose to power nap in your office, then make sure that you post a sign that lets people know that you are power napping and not to disturb you.
- Collect your equipment blankets, pillows and, where possible, a foldout bed will ensure you get the most out of the rest, and help you separate naptime from the rest of the day
- Eat right – Avoid caffeine and sugar. If you choose to practice power napping, then you want to make sure you avoid eating too much caffeinated or sugary products before you power nap, as these can obviously obstruct with your ability to sleep. Read The Full Story…

The researchers reporting online on 22 April in Current Biology, a publication of Cell Press, provides further evidence that the habits of successful study should include a lot of naps. They found that people taking a nap and dream about a task they have just learned to make better wake up than any of those who do not sleep at all, or those who sleep, but do not report any sleep partners.

The students in the study were asked to sit in front of a computer screen and learn to design a three dimensional maze so that they could find their way to a mark (a tree) when dropped into a randomly selected the virtual space of five hours later. Those who were allowed to take a nap and dream also reminded the task of finding the tree in less time.

“First thought that dreaming must reflect the process of memory performance is improving,” said Robert Stickgold of Harvard Medical School. “But if you look at the content of dreams, it was hard to argue that.” Read The Full Story…

The power-nap is a short sleep which terminates before the occurrence of deep sleep or slow-wave sleep intended to quickly revitalize the subject. (wikipedia)

“A power nap is a short nap, normally between 10 and 30 minutes long, taken in the middle of the day in order to reinvigorate and refresh you for the next part of the day.” Power naps are not similar to normal sleep, so you will not be groggy after taking one. While you might have “dreams”, power naps are more similar to meditation, where thoughts are allowed to move from the sub-conscious mind to the conscious mind and back again without you concentrating on them. Research says that taking a nap of 30 minutes a day is better than sleeping 30 minutes later in the morning.

10 Healthy benefits of the power nap:

1. boost in productivity and energy at work

2. increased motivation

3. improved ability to concentrate,

4. better mood

5. improved hand-eye coordination

6. improve emotional state

7. increased learning

8. maintain peak brain activity during the course of the day

9. protect yourself from sleepiness

10. decrease and eliminate stress Read The Full Story…

Could napping at work really boost productivity?
A NASA study shows that a nap of just 25 minutes can increase performance by as much as 35 percent.
The average American gets 6.7 hours sleep a night; the recommended amount is eight hours a night.
Some companies are starting to respond to sleep-deprived workers by providing the time and space to nap during work hours.

Once you lay your head down for a nap, the worst thing to do is start stressing — this will waste time and defeats the purpose of getting the most rest in the least amount of time. To help you get the most of your power naptime, we suggest trying a few of the following tips:

Announce your nap to yourself and your colleagues
Just closing your eyes for a few guilty moments will not cut it – you have to give yourself permission to nap to get the most out of it

Get comfortable
Most sleeping difficulties are psychosomatic, not physical, so if you are having trouble falling asleep, consider revaluating the environment you’re sleeping in. An environment conducive to napping is quiet, dark and free from interruptions. If you sleep on a floor at work, keep a mat (like a yoga mat that rolls up) at work, and possibly a pillow and blanket, if that makes you more comfortable. Other tools of the trade to consider – eyeshades, ipod or walkman with restful music, or specific MP3 files designed to help you wind down and fall asleep.

Collect your equipment
Blankets, pillows and, where possible, a foldout bed will ensure you get the most out of the rest, and help you separate naptime from the rest of the day

Make sure you’re not worried about waking up
Some people wake up naturally, but if you are worried, make sure you have an alarm. It is difficult to enjoy your 40 winks if you keep getting up to check the time after 15, 20 and 30 winks Read The Full Story…

In a recent study, researchers at NASA showed that a thirty to forty-minute power nap increased cognitive faculties by approximately 40%!

The healthy benefits of napping have been well documented scientific. Research has revealed that a nap can help physical well-being, improve mood and memory, sharpen senses and revitalize a person. The neurons in brain functioning get to rest and recuperate from the day’s stress.

Here’s what you need to know about the healthy benefits of nap and how a power nap can help you:

• 1. boost in productivity and energy at work

• 2. increased motivation

• 3. improved ability to concentrate,

• 4. better mood

• 5. improved hand-eye coordination

• 6. improve emotional state

• 7. increased learning

• 8. maintain peak brain activity during the course of the day

• 9. protect yourself from sleepiness

• 10. decrease and eliminate stress

Read The Full Story…