I have noticed that taking a brief nap, 20 minutes or so, or going for a midday walk leads to an afternoon productivity boost. It's hard to do this in an office environment though, especially if you don't have quiet space. My closest office equivalent is a walk to the coffee shop. It's not even really about the coffee (or tea), just a mental lull to recenter my mind in executive mode and reconsider what priorities are important vs being immersed deep in code.
Sometimes just lying on a bean bag for 20 minutes, without any expectation of even light sleep, is enough to get me through the rest of the afternoon. This is even more true now that I have an 8 month old son.
The alternative is sitting at my desk pretending I'm not spacing out, which is good for exactly nobody.
Napping at work is a great idea if you want to be more productive, learn faster and improve your cognitive ability. It's also a neat way of making your colleagues and management think you're lazy.
I'm a grandmaster napper. If you can't nap at work, go on a coffee break and take a nap in your car. People will jawdrop at your effectiveness. Ask Spain.
I'm sure I'm being stereotypical but I just known them as taking long naps and lunches. Not necessarily boosting their effectiveness or country wide GDP as a result.
There are a few misconceptions around Spain and their napping habits. There was a thread recently: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14812127 . Three hour lunch breaks involving naps – outside of small shops – are mostly nonexistent now.
Anecdotally, I worked in Spain a decade ago and I knew only one person who lived close enough to go home, eat and nap. Many of my colleagues were perpetually tired because they stayed up so late socialising.
I’ve never been able to nap. I’m one of the people who takes an hour to fall asleep, always have been. Even if I meditate and shut down my active mind, I can lay there for an hour with a completely blank mind, completely at peace, and completely awake. So I tend to just take 5-10 minutes during the day and do a full mediation session. It’s enough to take me out of the day briefly and send all of my stresses somewhere else, which is what the point really is about, right?
I am in the same boat. I've always envied people who can "nap". It's frustrating to read articles that suggest you "take a nap for 30 minutes!" when the implication there is that it doesn't take you 30 minutes just to fall asleep.
I've noticed I have a general "sleep momentum" problem. It takes me longer than average to fall asleep, and longer than average to wake up. On both ends of the cycle, I struggle. I wish there was a solution.
I'm not a physician but something that has worked shockingly well for me is 200mg of 5-HTP and 500mg of L-Tryptophan before bed. I used to have terrible insomnia (only sleeping for 2 hours some nights) and every time I take these two together I am out like a light within 30 minutes, and usually don't wake up at all until 4-6AM (I used to wake up fully at the end of every 90 minute sleep cycle and have to go through the whole process of falling asleep again). It gives you that warm fuzzy feeling (capillary dilation in the extremities) that you get just before you fall asleep. I've been taking it every night for five years now and I swear by it. YMMV of course. I've always been skeptical of supplements and I had taken tryptophan before to minor effect, but the two of them together are way beyond anything that could be blamed on placebo.
Thanks, I should have made that clear. There are many supplements sold over the counter that can hospitalize you if you mix them with psychiatric medications. Hopefully people that are on these meds are aware of potential interactions, but the way doctors prescribe them I wouldn't count on it.
Same. I live with insomnia, and naps are more myth than reality for me.
I do find myself taking what I call 'zen moments' throughout the day. They aren't ever intentional, but it feels so good when one comes on. And it helps.
But it's not a replacement for a good night's sleep in my case.
If I "nap", it's either staying awake or going full sleep for hours. I found that just laying down for 15 minutes still provides a good rest. The body still rests a bit and the mind is more fresh.
This is a critical part of taijiquan practice, laying down meditation. It's amazing how many places your body is in pain and tired but you won't hear it till you lay down and relax into the ground.
I also have a problem with napping, but for a different reason. If I sleep during the day, my heart starts to beat really hard. Like visibly hard, think it's because my HR drops low? Anyways, it's uncomfortable and makes me avoid it. Most people online seem to have the opposite problem, heart racing after a nap. Never found explanation for what happens to me that makes sense.
Nap with headphones on and play low tranquil music. This issue is mental and not physical, since what you describing is you noticing a strong heartbeat, its a good thing, your stroke volume is good.
I use to hate the cubical, until I was in various open floor plan jobs for six years. Open floor plans are the next circle of hell. I know this because they make you miss the cube.
I'm interested in making it easier for people to nap at my company, but I'm having some trouble figuring out the logistics. I don't mind people taking naps, but I don't want to end up dealing with cleaning sheets, blankets, etc.
Any suggestions on how a small office (~15 people) can have a napping area without taking on any additional custodial work?
We have an unofficial napping area at work which consists of a beanbag under a staircase next to a warm window. I think a comfortable seat (i.e sofa/beanbag) is enough to encourage and support power napping.
Makes sense. I was worried that something like a beanbag would get gross over time, but I'm probably overthinking it. We already have a couple in non-quiet areas and they're fine. Thanks for the response!
One shop I was in had a quiet room with two recliners. There were blankets in there but I'd never use them. Hmm .. now I wonder if those things ever got washed. :-P
But really you just need a closet or a small room with shutters. My building/shop had about 100 people and with those two recliners and a small futon, it worked out pretty well. There were never more than two people down there and there was an unspoken rules about .. well .. not speaking. Some people would go down there to meditate. You'd hear the chimes on their phone app.
> Any suggestions on how a small office (~15 people) can have a napping area without taking on any additional custodial work?.
An ordinary couch that's long enough for a person to lie down on will do. If it's vinyl / plastic covered, cleanup is a matter of wiping it down periodically. Add a couple of small cushions to act as pillows (periodically replaced for hygiene) and, voilà, you're done. If the soundproofing of the nap area is less than optimal, add an inexpensive white noise generator to help mask ambient noise.
Employees can supply their own blankets, etc. (I can't imagine that people would be particularly enthused about the idea of a shared blanket anyway.) I use a cotton hoodie in place of a blanket since the hood can be pulled down over the eyes to block out light.
Also, on behalf of myself and others, thank you for being a considerate employer and providing a nap area. I, myself, suffer from treatment resistant insomnia and I know many colleagues who have had less than a full night's sleep because of their newborns or children who would have desperately welcomed a place to nap.
Several of my previous employers have been nap-friendly. At one we even had a hammock on a frame in the office; I used to lie down in that with a timer set for 15 minutes and nap when necessary.
My current employer has a 'pool room' with couches, plants and nature sounds. Great for a brief nap.
In my experience, this sort of thing is _especially_ helpful for new parents :)
Where I live it's law that a workplace with a certain number of workers must have a resting room where you can take a nap.
Sure enough my workplace has one. There was a big thing when it was discovered that another branch, smaller but still above the threshold of employees, did not have a resting room. Not sure how that played out but essentially you have an "employee safety officer" that handles the case with the union until the requirement is met.
I go in there around 15:00 and nap for about 30 minutes, apologize to no one. It's nice and dark, you put a note on the door so no one disturbs you.
I worked in a New Zealand shop that had a "quiet room" .. not everyone knew about it. You get a buddy on day one to take you around the building and not everyone covers it (don't think it was on the sheet). It had two recliner chairs a single mattress and .. a sink for some reason (We think it may have been a dentist's office once from the layout).
Other places I've sometimes found places under stairwells on bottom floors or used one of the phone rooms. 10 ~ 15 min is all you need really. Then just inject yourself with two more cups of coffee, put on your headphones and code monkey away.
I realize the IT field is kinda unique in that people can get away with this, at least with good managers who care more about your output and deliverables than the amount of time you're at your desk.
I can't risk taking naps, especially in an open space. I'm a loud snorer. I learned that the hard way back in college at an afternoon course, where, for some reason, I decided to sit first row in the lecture hall. My lab has nap boxes. However, I can't even use those since they are made of cupboard and are in the library of all places.
Their perfect guide to napping says to aim for 20 minutes and no more. This is really tricky because you can't just set a timer for 30 minutes because the time it takes to fall asleep is variable. Are there any wearables or techniques to solve this problem of starting a timer when you fall asleep?
Apparently in Japan napping at work is honorable because it proves you are working hard and late. Funny that the idea of "slacker" isn't the first thing that crosses their mind. East Asia is a different land.
Except don't they actually work really long hours? I visited recently, it seemed like falling asleep on the train (etc.) was normal and they just looked so exhausted, i'd assumed it was the only way they were getting enough in.
I didn't mean to say they are slacking, just that it's funny over here the first thing we would think is 'slacker', but the idea of interpreting it as slacking just doesn't cross their mind.
Napping aside, when (or where) did "leaving your desk for lunch" become taboo? Is this an American thing?
In most places I've worked it would be unusual to stay at your desk for lunch, and in many places it would be discouraged. People really need to use their lunch time, however long or short, to actually take a break, not just from work but also from sitting in front of the computer, and maybe get a few minutes of fresh air and natural sunlight.
On a trading desk, it's unusual for more than one or two people to leave their seats at a time for lunch. And often, the team will order delivery and one of the junior guys will go downstairs to pick it up.
Once, I left my seat to go to Starbucks for about twelve minutes. In that time, the AVGO/BRCM merger was announced, and my BRCM position made $500k in my absence.
So there's at least one major industry in NY where it's generally discouraged for people to leave their desks.
I NEED naps. It's just how I'm built. I can feel my I.Q. going down when I need a nap. After a quick nap, my I.Q. feels much improved.
Storytime: I once interviewed for job in Delaware. It was exhausting. I did great in the interviews, but my mind was burned out after all the technical questions. So I asked if they had a spot where I could nap for a few minutes. They were a bit puzzled, but showed me to a spot where I could sit in a chair and lean back to nap. It was great and I got the job - it wasn't till months later that they mentioned they almost didn't hire me because of the nap incident during the interview!
So, I do recommend naps at work, but I'd say not everyone will understand if you nap at your first onsite interview. YMMV ;)
Fortunately attitudes seem to finally be changing about sleep and brain optimization.
This was one of the awesome things about switching to Soylent for lunch. I'd sip it at my desk around my lunch break, and close my door during lunch for an hour of glorious shuteye.
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[ 3.5 ms ] story [ 125 ms ] threadThe alternative is sitting at my desk pretending I'm not spacing out, which is good for exactly nobody.
I'm sure I'm being stereotypical but I just known them as taking long naps and lunches. Not necessarily boosting their effectiveness or country wide GDP as a result.
And not only Spain; the majority of Mediterranean countries.
They are being stereotyped as lazy though, so not sure how this is helping with your argument.
Anecdotally, I worked in Spain a decade ago and I knew only one person who lived close enough to go home, eat and nap. Many of my colleagues were perpetually tired because they stayed up so late socialising.
I've noticed I have a general "sleep momentum" problem. It takes me longer than average to fall asleep, and longer than average to wake up. On both ends of the cycle, I struggle. I wish there was a solution.
I do find myself taking what I call 'zen moments' throughout the day. They aren't ever intentional, but it feels so good when one comes on. And it helps.
But it's not a replacement for a good night's sleep in my case.
Any suggestions on how a small office (~15 people) can have a napping area without taking on any additional custodial work?
But really you just need a closet or a small room with shutters. My building/shop had about 100 people and with those two recliners and a small futon, it worked out pretty well. There were never more than two people down there and there was an unspoken rules about .. well .. not speaking. Some people would go down there to meditate. You'd hear the chimes on their phone app.
An ordinary couch that's long enough for a person to lie down on will do. If it's vinyl / plastic covered, cleanup is a matter of wiping it down periodically. Add a couple of small cushions to act as pillows (periodically replaced for hygiene) and, voilà, you're done. If the soundproofing of the nap area is less than optimal, add an inexpensive white noise generator to help mask ambient noise.
Employees can supply their own blankets, etc. (I can't imagine that people would be particularly enthused about the idea of a shared blanket anyway.) I use a cotton hoodie in place of a blanket since the hood can be pulled down over the eyes to block out light.
Also, on behalf of myself and others, thank you for being a considerate employer and providing a nap area. I, myself, suffer from treatment resistant insomnia and I know many colleagues who have had less than a full night's sleep because of their newborns or children who would have desperately welcomed a place to nap.
My current employer has a 'pool room' with couches, plants and nature sounds. Great for a brief nap.
In my experience, this sort of thing is _especially_ helpful for new parents :)
Sure enough my workplace has one. There was a big thing when it was discovered that another branch, smaller but still above the threshold of employees, did not have a resting room. Not sure how that played out but essentially you have an "employee safety officer" that handles the case with the union until the requirement is met.
I go in there around 15:00 and nap for about 30 minutes, apologize to no one. It's nice and dark, you put a note on the door so no one disturbs you.
They say that any workplace with over 50 employees needs a resting room.
Other places I've sometimes found places under stairwells on bottom floors or used one of the phone rooms. 10 ~ 15 min is all you need really. Then just inject yourself with two more cups of coffee, put on your headphones and code monkey away.
I realize the IT field is kinda unique in that people can get away with this, at least with good managers who care more about your output and deliverables than the amount of time you're at your desk.
In most places I've worked it would be unusual to stay at your desk for lunch, and in many places it would be discouraged. People really need to use their lunch time, however long or short, to actually take a break, not just from work but also from sitting in front of the computer, and maybe get a few minutes of fresh air and natural sunlight.
Once, I left my seat to go to Starbucks for about twelve minutes. In that time, the AVGO/BRCM merger was announced, and my BRCM position made $500k in my absence.
So there's at least one major industry in NY where it's generally discouraged for people to leave their desks.
Storytime: I once interviewed for job in Delaware. It was exhausting. I did great in the interviews, but my mind was burned out after all the technical questions. So I asked if they had a spot where I could nap for a few minutes. They were a bit puzzled, but showed me to a spot where I could sit in a chair and lean back to nap. It was great and I got the job - it wasn't till months later that they mentioned they almost didn't hire me because of the nap incident during the interview!
So, I do recommend naps at work, but I'd say not everyone will understand if you nap at your first onsite interview. YMMV ;)
Fortunately attitudes seem to finally be changing about sleep and brain optimization.