Sleep, it seems, has become a luxury.
A report published earlier this month by po-faced think tank Demos found that 39% of adults suffer from a lack of sleep. That figure rises to 50% among managers and those with children.
So great is the problem, the report suggests that if you feel sleepy you should take afternoon naps. We at Off-grid say why restrict yourself to afternoon naps? Take a nap whenever you feel tired? We eat when we are hungry and drink when we are thirsty, so why are people not sleeping when they are tired?
Prof Jim Horne, the director of Loughborough University’s Sleep Research Center, thinks the Demos report is right to recommend power-napping. “By nature, our bodies are designed to have one big sleep followed by a smaller one later in the day.
The need to sleep is a particularly Anglo-American problem because Trade Union rights have been eroded faster here than in Europe, and self-worth is more frequently valued by work achievement. It may be affecting women even more than men.
The Hale Clinic, a center for complementary medicine in London, sees more and more women suffering from “adrenal” exhaustion. Some busy women who are not at typical menopausal age, go to the clinic because their periods have stopped. Then they go for a two-week holiday and they start menstruating again.
Opinions vary as to the best way to Powernap. Some find that the best place for it is on the floor in the office, with two large dictionary-sized books under your neck and your feet up on the chair. It may not sound very comfortable but it works like a dream as it stretches the body and gets the circulation going.
the most important thing is to keep it short -no more than 20 minutes. Otherwise your brain goes into deep sleep, and it is hard to awake refreshed after a short deep sleep.
Let us know your tips for Powernapping and other ways to stay healthy and alert. Contact editor@off-grid.net, or leave a comment at the end of this story.
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2 Responses
You have the floatation tanks, and something called the relaxman designed by Hugo Sober that is supposed to fresh you, spending 50 mins in there is supposed to be the equivalent of getting half a nights sleep.
Personally I don’t think you can substitute a good nights sleep!!
right on! if your tired…take a nap!
my present work is so persistently boring, and my work environment so sick, it causes me to suffer with actual physical fatigue. but then when i get tired, especially in the afternoon, will my boss let me go for a 20 minute nap?! so instead i go to the toilet and nap there! its a bit uncomfortable though! and not the most pleasant of places to nap!