Studies show that taking a power nap can help reduce anxiety and boost
energy. But settling down for a midday nap is easier said than done.
There are plenty of things that I miss about my childhood, unlimited
candy consumption and Saturday morning cartoons being among them.
Probably more than anything else, I miss the ability to nap whenever I
want. I frequently look back on those carefree years of nap time and
wish I could go back and tell my younger self to cherish those moments,
because as an adult, you will be tired all the time.
So when I was told that I had to take a power nap every day for an
entire week, I nearly grabbed a nap mat and fell asleep right at my
desk. Finally, an excuse to sleep during the day! I was always feeling
tired and longing for a nice long snooze, and I assumed incorporating
naps back into my life would be easy as learning to tie my shoes.
I was very, very wrong. For starters, I commute in and out of New York City from New Jersey
every day for work, so my window of opportune times to nap is tiny. I
determined that the only way I could make this work was to turn my
commute into power nap time.
According to some recent studies, making time for a nap every few
days is probably in our best interests. Besides the obvious benefit of
getting more sleep, an Endocrine Society study says that a 30-minute
power nap can help to reverse the effects of a poor night's sleep. Another study from the University of Michigan claims that after a 60-minute nap, their study participants were able to handle frustrations better and were more likely to avoid impulsive behaviors.
With all of these benefits in mind, I was looking forward to a week
of extra sleep, even if it was only 20 or 30 minutes long. I didn't do
anything to prepare myself for a week of scheduled naps, like looking up
meditation methods or making a relaxing playlist. I figured that since I
always tend to feel tired, getting myself to fall asleep would be easy.
I was so convinced that I would fall asleep that I had terrible visions
of sleeping right through my train stop and waking up in the middle of
the night still on the train.
Surprisingly, when I got on the train and settled into my seat, I
couldn't shut my brain down enough to nap. I closed my eyes and focused
on my breathing, but thoughts about work projects kept popping into my
mind. I ended up feeling even more tired when I reached the end of my
commute.
After this initial setback, I decided that I would incorporate some
light meditation into my nap on Day 2. Instead of just sitting on the
train and focusing on my breaths, I listened to some sleep meditation
music that I found on YouTube, featuring some crashing waves and light
piano music in the background. Distracting my brain with the music did
the trick, and for the next few days, I found it way easier to drift off
into a light sleep with this method. (No, I didn't sleep through my train stop, which was a relief!)
On Day 4, I took an AntiGravity Cocooning class at Crunch Gym
to see if I could take my nap game to the next level. The class is
essentially a combination of aerial yoga, power napping, and guided
mediation, and it left me feeling completely re-energized. The class
started out by using a yoga hammock suspended from the ceiling to gently
stretch out my arms, legs, and abdominals,
which helped me to release the day's worries. I then climbed into the
hammock to lie there for 15 minutes with my eyes closed, while the
instructor guided the class into a mediated state with the help of some
relaxing music.
I have never felt calmer than when I was suspended in the air,
minding my breathing and the soft crashing of oceans waves playing in
the background. I was gently woken up as the class was ending, but I
just wanted to stay in my hammock and feel that level of zen forever.
When I woke up on Day 5, I was in the best mood I had been in all
week, and napping for the last three days was easier. All I had to do
was close my eyes and focus on my breathing for a few minutes until I
fell asleep or reached a meditative state. The class had helped me
change my perspective of what a power nap was, which I think had turned
the whole experience around for me. Instead of trying to get myself to
fully fall asleep, I was just trying to enter a mindset where I was
relaxed and I had fewer thoughts. This mental switch helped me to fully
maximize my scheduled nap time at the end of the week, as well as feel
more energized and calm when I woke up.
After a week of forcing myself to sleep, I definitely think that
incorporating some light snoozing into my schedule would be a good idea.
Though I only experienced short-term benefits from my week of napping,
the long-term effects are worth scheduling some weekly snooze sessions.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I am going to go take a nap.