Thomas Edison hardly slept at all, except in 20-minute naps.
Mark Twain was noted for his insomnia, but was always dozing off
at public functions. So what's the relationship or the secret
between 40-winks of nap-time and a person's creativity?
Scientists have proven in recent years that the human body
requires only as much sleep as the brain will allow it. In other
words, so long as the brain is functioning at full capacity,
there's no great requirement for sleep. The big thing is that
the brain needs a rest every now and then, and apparently, the
brain can refresh itself and go on "like with a full tank of
gas" with just a short, 20-minute nap.
Regardless of all the relaxation techniques that are popular
today, sleep is still the most refreshing and healthful
relaxation of all to most people. Even so, the quick 40-winks
between appointments or meetings can refresh and rejuvenate
almost anyone as much as 8-hours of sleep.
Throughout history, busy, pressured men have all shared in the
ability to take a break from whatever the problems of the moment
were, in order to refresh themselves with a short nap. For
problem solvers, trouble-shooters, writers and/or other people
doing creative or intellectual work, the benefits of a short
20-minute nap can be similar to a transfusion of blood plasma.
These short 20-minute naps for people who are really engrossed
in their work, almost always provide a fresh burst of new ideas
and energy. They tend to eliminate the need for caffeine boosts
during the workday. And, they guarantee a reserve of energy so
that the working day isn't followed by an evening in which he
falls asleep on the couch watching TV or at a social event.
To take advantage of the mental rejuvenation benefits inherent
in a 20-minute nap, all you need is an uninterrupted 20-minutes.
If you're working in an office, take your phone off the hook or
disconnect it from the wall plug. Hang a sign on your door and
instruct your secretary that you're not to be disturbed for
20-minutes. A couch to lie down on would be fine, but if you've
not got a couch handy, simply stretch out on the floor.
When you lie down to take a nap, you should loosen your shoes,
your belt and your tie. Basically, it's best if you lie on your
back and cross your arms across your chest.
You shouldn't concentrate on it, nor worry about falling asleep.
First off, you'll be resting and that alone will give you the
new energy you need. If your brain needs a rest as well, you'll
soon fall asleep.
It's all right to think about specific business problems while
you're still in the resting stage, but you must not allow
yourself to get up and deal with them if answers come to you
before your 20-minute nap period is up. As much as you can, you
should try to direct your thoughts to nonwork ideas while you're
resting. In other words, you might think about the things you
intend to do when you get home from work.
You might mentally play a round of golf on your favorite course.
Imagine watching your golf swing and correcting your problems.
Besides relaxing you, these reveries provide the extra dividend
of actually helping you to improve you own skills. Mental
preparation accounts for a great deal of one's skill in sports,
and this kind, which you accomplish while you're relaxing, can
pay off in double dividends.
Learn to ignore whatever noises there are - just tell yourself
that these are noises of the atmosphere and do not relate to
you. See them as a part of your environment, and not as
irritants.
To be sure that you wake up at the end of 20 minutes, set an
alarm or tell your secretary to wake you at the end of your rest
period. Once you've practiced settling down and resting for
20-minutes at a time, you'll be able to wake yourself just
before the alarm goes off or your secretary rouses you.
Attempting to sleep for 30-minutes or even an hour, will leave
you feeling groggy rather than refreshed. There is nothing wrong
however, with taking several 20-minute naps at different
intervals throughout an especially long or tiring workday. The
important thing to remember is that you can gain new energy and
new creativity by resting and napping when you feel low on
energy or as if you're running out of ideas.
As you awaken from your nap, you should lie still for a minute
or two - then stretch and breathe deeply - take your time in
getting up - adjust your clothing and take a drink of water to
get your system going again.
Then, return to work, starting with simple chores such as
opening letters or organizing the work you have to do. Within
just a few minutes you should feel full of energy and able to
handle any problem as it comes up.
With practice you'll be able refresh and rejuvenate your entire
mental system with a short 20-minute nap. The important thing is
to recognize when you need one to handle the problems at hand,
and then to avail yourself of them. Total relaxation, complete
physical and mental rest, and then a whole new burst of energy
and creativity as the result.
Give it a try for yourself and see if you aren't amazed at the
results!
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