Micronap your way to success
Micronaps – Increasing your productivity
I have been practicing micronapping for a while now but didn’t really
think it was unusual until a colleague mentioned it to me. I work a lot
between all the jobs and voluntary work I have and get about 5 hours sleep. I
am tired a lot so often take a micronap to refresh me.
What is a micronap?
You may have already experienced a micronap without realising it. It’s
those moments when you doze off for a few moments, 2-5 minutes, and wake up
with a start. It has happened to me in meetings, and I have woken up
with a start thinking ‘Christ!I hope nobody noticed me’, meanwhile
somebody has posted a picture of me drooling, on the company intranet. You
know the moments I mean.
Micronapping is a scheduled event and everybody can do it no matter what their
schedule is.
How to micronap
When you feel you need a micronap just schedule 5 minutes away from everyone,
I usually go home for lunch so I micronap there, however when I can’t
go home I use the toilet to take a micronap.
Sit on the toilet, lean back and just close your eyes safe in the knowledge
that if you fall asleep nobody will see you. The beauty of micronapping
is that your mind is still alert to the fact that you have only got 5 minutes
so it won’t fall fully asleep. You will be drifting between consciousness
and unconsciousness (which is what sleep is).
It may sound as if this wouldn’t help but it really does. What
is happening is that your brain is sinking to an alpha state, which is sleep
cycle where your brain is operating at 7-14 cycles per second, and coming back
to your waking beta state, which operates at 14-13 cycles per second. Read
more about the sleeping
states here
Alpha states are the states which meditators and people who are relaxed fall
into. It is the state in which creativity occurs and is the state in
which we typically daydream. It has a realxing effect on the brain and
slows it down to rest.
Benefits of micronapping
- I have found micronapping good for sleep deprived headaches, if I’ve
not had enough sleep I get a slight headache and micronapping is great for
this. - I have found I am more alert after a micronap
- You can take as many as you need without really being missed, I usually
take about 2 per day. - Micronapping allows me to get by on about 5 hours of sleeep without feeling
any detrimental effects. - It can be done almost anywhere, in the car, in the toilet, in the house,
any room that you will not be disturbed for 5 minutes or so.
More information
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Comment by Pamela on 6 June 2007:
I think micro nap will be sufficient enough to remove sleep deprived headaches, but I am not sure if 5 min. will be enough. Lack of sleep will make it easy for us to fall asleep and at the same time hard for us to wake up.
Comment by gadgotra on 6 June 2007:
I have also found micronapping good for sleep deprived headaches. i often doze off, I donot for how long(may be 1 min or 1 hr), gut it is refreshing
Pingback by Benefits of MicroNapping - lifehack.org on 6 June 2007:
[...] Steven Aitchison takes two a day and claims he can be refreshed the whole day with 5 hours sleep the night before. Micronap your way to success - [ChangeYourThoughts] digg_url = ‘http://www.lifehack.org/articles/lifestyle/benefits-of-micronapping.html’; ( function() { var ds=typeof digg_skin==’string’?digg_skin:”; var h=80; var w=52; if(ds==’compact’) { h=18; w=120; } var u=typeof digg_url==’string’?digg_url:(typeof DIGG_URL==’string’?DIGG_URL:window.location.href); document.write(”"); } )() Author: Craig Childs Posted: Wednesday, June 6th, 2007 at 8:21 am Tags: nap, sleep, sleeping Bookmark or Share this with a friend! [...]
Pingback by Benefits of MicroNapping on 6 June 2007:
[...] Micronap your way to success - [ChangeYourThoughts] [...]
Comment by karenlim on 6 June 2007:
Hmm.. I like the idea to take a micronap.
I also sleep 5 hrs a day.
I normally use brain enhancement music to give me the energy I need to complete my work and project.
I have post my experience about how this brain enhancement music work for me in terms of energy and ability to visualize:-
http://secretofunlimitedprosperity.com/10/law-of-attraction-the-secret-of-attraction-accelerator/
Comment by Alan on 7 June 2007:
I agree that it’s good for sleep deprived headaches, but I don’t think it’s still effective for anyone who got 3-4 hours of sleep. In that condition, a little sleep will surely make you want to sleep more.
Pingback by Steve Miller’s Web Sites of Interest » links for 2007-06-07 on 7 June 2007:
[...] Micronap your way to success (tags: lifehacks productivity self-improvement) [...]
Comment by Steven on 8 June 2007:
I just wonder what people think you are doing for all those 5 min breaks in the toilet!
Comment by Heather on 9 June 2007:
I like the idea of micronapping.
At times I do doze of at my desk for a few minutes (I work at home ;)). I get an average of 4-5 hours of sleep and it is interupted most of the time. If I try to take an hour to rest in the afternoon, it never works. Maybe I should put more emphasis on the 5 minute breaks.
Thanks for the tip!
Pingback by The Truth About How To Be An Early Riser on 20 June 2007:
[...] 10 Benefits of Rising Early, and How to Do ItSleep Adjustment - Gain 10 days per yearWaking Up Early - 15 Tips That WorkHow to Nap at Work - or Anyplace You Need a RestLate risers unite in DenmarkThe Science of SleepMicronap your way to successBrain Machine legally induces mind tripAm I Getting Good Sleep?Do I have a Sleep Disorder?Why is Sleep Important?How Sleep Works?Tips for Sleeping in the Heat [...]
Comment by Articles on 17 July 2007:
Mico napping works pretty well but don’t know if I’m just as alert as if I had 8 hours of sleep.
Trackback by Headache on 19 July 2007:
Headache…
Headache…
Pingback by Link Karma: Words on Relaxation & Rejuvination. « Lemonade Stand on 3 August 2007:
[...] Captain J. A. Hadfield said, “This art of resting the mind and the power of dismissing from it all care and worry is probably one of the secrets of energy in our great men.” Reboot your mind with a micronap in the middle of the day. [...]
Pingback by Microsonno — Kurai - Il Blog di Federico Fasce on 7 August 2007:
[...] (trovate qualcosa anche qui) [...]
Pingback by Links for 2007-08-04 [del.icio.us] | Tecnologia on 12 August 2007:
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It is tiresome striving to calculate the hours we\’ve consumed tracking down anatomy of the brain research….
Pingback by Nazri :// Mysight » Blog Archive » Erti hidup pada memberi on 22 December 2007:
[...] sleep time ustaz hasrizal kasik talk ). tp lepas tu tah camne tersegar balik. dah mahir dah ngan teknik Micronapping. penat jalan sana sini huhu. so segar balik dan concentrate ape yg ustaz hasrizal mau [...]
Comment by Personal Development for the Book Smart on 15 February 2008:
Time to take a micronap!
Pingback by NoMoreSleep™ » Detail » Micronap on 6 March 2008:
[...] but be fit like a “turnschuh” all day on the other hand. Steven Aitchison wrote a really nice article about this “way of sleep” in his blog. Read it. Try it. Refresh. Related [...]
Comment by Pat -- Health Tips on 20 March 2008:
Your article on micro-naps caused me to remember that I often lay down on my bed for brief periods of time to refresh myself before going on with my day. Sometimes I then doze off for a while as well. But just resting for short periods of time can be quite rejuvenating! — Pat
Pingback by bitink coskcore kinaru » Blog Archive » 46 Must-Read Productivity Tips for Freelancers on 25 April 2008:
[...] Take micro-naps. From Steven Aitchison: “You may have already experienced a micronap without realising it. It’s those moments when you doze off for a few moments, 2-5 minutes, and wake up with a start.” [...]
Pingback by bitink coskcore kinaru » Blog Archive » 46 Must-Read Productivity Tips for Freelancers on 25 April 2008:
[...] Take micro-naps. From Steven Aitchison: “You may have already experienced a micronap without realising it. It’s those moments when you doze off for a few moments, 2-5 minutes, and wake up with a start.” [...]
Comment by Chris on 28 April 2008:
I’ve tried micronapping sometimes but when I’m really tired, I lack the motivation to wake up from my micronap, and I end up sleeping for at least a few hours.
Comment by Genesis on 19 July 2008:
Well, I don`t know about scheduled micronaps, but when I get too tired, I often have a little doze at my computer. However, I also have a longer nap in the middle of the day with my kids (2-2.5 hours) so I can work most of the night (getting about 3 hours a night). That, combined with micronapping has made it possible for me to work when the rest of the family is asleep, without sacrificing too much kid time.