“Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything about it.” M. Scott Peck
What do Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einsten, Thomas Edison, Margaret Thatcher, & Bill Clinton have in common aside from being well known, powerful, and smart people? They are famous nappers. The nap in itself is a habit many people master naturally, some thrive to have the priviledge, and others just believe its a waste of time.
The famous nappers I mentioned earlier all had little time to sleep at night but believed in several short naps during the day to rejuvenate their brain and creativity. This has been proven over and over in numerous recent researches. The recent addiction to technology and social media is a faster way to reveal our lifestyle flaws yet we never do anything about it. I speak from personal experience, as I am getting more and more attached to the current popular devices my shut eye time is diminishing, I am sure I will soon start seeing the consequences if I don’t start taking “me” time.
A short afternoon catnap of 20 minutes enhances alertness and concentration, elevates mood, and sharpens motor skills. To boost alertness on waking, you can drink a cup of coffee before you nap. Caffeine requires 20 or 30 minutes to take effect, so it will kick in just as you’re waking. Limit your nap time to 45 minutes maximum.
The art of napping takes practice. You have to learn to switch off from concerns, demands, and stresses of daily life for a short period.
There are many aids for napping such as herbs, mainly Lavender , chamomile, geranium, jasmine, & ylang ylang which have calming effects among others. You can apply their use through aromatherapy oils. You can find oil burners at shops such as The Body Shop and get these soothing oils. Using these oils is part of my daily ritual, I realized when I was living in Lebanon, that friends who came over kept complimenting me for the relaxing atmosphere in my house. In addition to my hospitality *blushing* I knew the oils were a big part of that reputation.
The colors used in the room where you nap are very important. You can’t have a red bedroom and expect to wake up in a relaxed condition. Over time you will realize something is wrong. Chromotherapy is an ancient science as well. The colors to use while napping are: Rose for tranquility, Blue for relaxation, Green for renewal, Lilac for equilibrium.
Researchers are realizing the importance of the “siesta”, hence the new concept most of received in our emails. The sleep box is an office workstation and resting pod designed for public places like train stations, airports and bus terminals. These small pods are rental units that provide travelers peace and quite as well as a place to work.Currently, there is construction of these units in the Dubai airport with hopefully more places to follow.
In Buenos Aires, city residents are fighting work-related stress with a 20-minute nap at the center. Employees at Siestario tailor to each client the music, aroma and colors that would be most conducive to sleep. (Photo taken from Reuters)
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