In my last blog, I discussed how getting enough sleep affects how you manage your workday. Basically, if you awaken by alarm clock, you probably didn’t get enough sleep. It’s better to find the time when you can retire and easily wake up on your own the next morning without the aid of an alarm.

Here’s how it works: If you need eight hours of sleep to function properly, then you’ll have to retire by 10:00 p.m. the night before to get up at 6:00 a.m. in the morning. However, many of us go to bed at 11:30 and still get up by alarm, thinking we can slug through the day—and in the short term, we can. In the long term, though, the lack of sleep will catch up to us.

Some strategies people employ to ease their sleepy mornings is to lay out their clothes the night before (like our mothers did for us when we were children). Others make sure to have nutritious food ready. You know too well that eating junk at home or eating anything on the run is not going to give you the fuel you need to accomplish tasks at work. You’ll run out of gas too soon, and then look for quick and easy stimulants. Can someone say caffeine? 

This is no way to work, no way to treat your body, and no way to pass through your life’s journey. Enter the power nap.

The Effect of Napping

Naps are a good subsidy to normal sleep patterns. In general, they increase your alertness for the rest of the day. But naps are not a good substitute for regularly getting the right amount of sleep. It’s best not to use naps to catch up on sleep if you short-change yourself nightly. 

Also, if and how you nap can affect your sleeping and waking routines. The best nap time is between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. Any later in the day and your nap may be too deep, interfering with your nightly sleep. Some people nap easily; others can't seem to nap at all. You already know into which camp you fall.

Also, your quality of sleep will be much higher and the immediate benefits more apparent if you nap in a bed or cot as opposed to a chair. Although everyone feels a little groggy for a few minutes after a nap, this gradually subsides.

Surprisingly, short naps are more productive than long naps. A short nap will leave you refreshed; a long nap may interfere with your sleep that evening. Naps of 20 minutes or less usually help avoid REM sleep, a stage where you're likely to wake up groggy and stay that way.

To derive the most from your nap time, safeguard the nap area before you nod off by making sure that your phone, computer, and other gadgets will not disturb you. Post a "Do Not Disturb" sign if you think it will help.

Adjust and Win

Bottom line: Getting enough sleep is the key to having enough energy to successfully get through your workday. You might need to readjust your sleeping habits to get the most from those treasured ZZZZZs.