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
polynaplife.blogspot.com/ my.opera.com/offspring/blog/ www.pzizz.com
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please can someone please tell me how long you have to stay awake before you start to micronap?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!im doing a research project
It’s called the effects of sleep apnea people … Get a sleep study!
I Have just read this post with great interest. I have been doing this for years and i didn’t know there was a name for it or even a strategy behind it.
I would tend to micronap when i am very busy and i will sleep for several mins and feel refreshed and continue with my day or work.
Great stuff, thank you.
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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.
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.
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
Time to take a micronap!
Mico napping works pretty well but don’t know if I’m just as alert as if I had 8 hours of sleep.
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!
I just wonder what people think you are doing for all those 5 min breaks in the toilet!
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.
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/
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
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.