Sunday, January 12, 2014

Creative Siesta? Or Just an Excuse to Sleep on the Job?

I was intrigued by the title of a recent post on 99u.com: Do Power Naps Improve Creativity? Writer/Editor Sasha VanHoven shares how studies have shown that 20-minute naps may provide a boost in alertness, with 30- to 60-minute naps being good for cognitive memory and creativity, and 60 to 90 minutes enough for problem solving. I'll be interested to follow her #labrat experiment as she gives the 20-minute power nap a daily trial.

But let's be honest. Who in the real world (outside of certain European and Latin American countries where they enjoy the siesta) is able to slip away for a 20-minute doze in the middle of the work day? (Well maybe freelancers, if they're working from home. One of the perks.) I just don't see it sitting well with colleagues or bosses. "Excuse me, I'm putting myself down for a while." "If you need me, I'll be in the men's room napping." "Sorry, I can't make that meeting. It conflicts with my nap time."

I understand there are some services in metropolitan cities that offer napping "pods" for your office. I'd like to meet the company that is willing to pay for this type of employee perk in this day and age, with tightened budgets, cutbacks, etc. There are also facilities in some cities where you can go and take a nap during the day, which seems a little more reasonable, if you want to skip lunch and nap during lunch hour.

(Side note: I recently saw this scary monstrosity in the Hammacher catalog:
It's called a power nap head pillow, designed to shut out the world and enhance your napping time. Will it shut out the screams of little children and the faint-of-heart when they see what looks unnervingly like something from a bad sci-fi movie? Bonus points for those who recognize the sci-fi picture below and where it came from...)


I've read enough to know that some people swear by the power nap – and not just pre-schoolers. I've never been one to find a 20-minute nap all that effective in boosting alertness. If it boosts anything, it's my desire to sleep even more. I'm better off getting out and taking a 20-minute power walk for a quick reinvigoration. But kudos to those who do find a way to make shutting down and shutting eyes an effective work strategy.

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