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Comment by nicholasjbs | Hacker News Reader

I cannot overstate how much power naps have improved my life. I started doing them regularly about seven years ago and have been recommending them to everyone I can since. Napping makes me happier, more alert, and way more productive.

A shameless plug: I wrote a post about how I learned to nap here: http://unschooled.org/2011/05/how-i-nap

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Ditto. For me, the 20 minute investment in a post-lunch nap pays back manyfold in increased productivity (to say nothing of health and general well-being) for the rest of the day.

Finding a place to nap in an office an environment can be tricky, but if you start thinking of your nap as an important work tool and not an embarrassing indulgence, you can usually find a way to make it work. Drop a few bucks on a good pillow, blanket, sleep mask, and/or white-noise headphones -- whatever's important for you -- to keep at your desk. (For me, the sleep mask is critical. YMMV.) Get creative with your sleep position -- couches are great, but I've made it work lying on the floor with my feet up on my office chair (suitably chocked so it won't roll away). The key point is, don't be afraid to ask the work environment to adapt to your nap, rather than vice versa.

Two tricks, both of which depend on your situation

CAR:

I used to go to my car and take a nap. Kick the seat back, eye cover, maybe ear plugs and put the alarm on vibrate and in my shirt pocket.

Depending on someones situation and their proximity to their vehicle, if they drive.. It could be good.

YOGA MAT:

Everyone likes being hip and yogic. Buy a yoga mat. By tying yoga mats to napping it seems all so, much, more okay.

It's easy to lie on the floor, once you learn to nap on the floor you'll have the most refreshing naps ever.

I just have an incredibly hard time imagining how I could nap on a yoga mat in my cubile without everyone else stopping to watch it like a circus, and my manger wanting to discuss why I am literally sleeping on the job.

Would a hammock fit into a cubicle? That would almost make cubicles cool...

I did say depending on your situation.

Some people have a room they can go to, or maybe a spare office / meeting they can use / book.

Would he not understand it if you just told him the truth? "I'm doing it because, overall, it makes me more productive."

There is a class of bosses who would accept that (obviously if you also stay twenty minutes longer & are salaried, they have nothing to lose). There is also a class of bosses who would not care how much sense it did or didn't make.

In an open office if it wasn't part of the company culture, few bosses will accept it. The political ramifications of having your employees sleeping when the VP walks by are too great (and, often, the manager won't even have the option to explain why it's good). I fully understand the benefits of napping, but I would demand employees to "get a room", for their sake and mine.

You can also sort of nap in a bathroom stall. It's difficult to fall asleep completely, but closing your eyes and resting your face in your hands, with you elbows resting on your legs, for about 5-10 minutes, can help you feel rested and refreshed. And nobody will ever know.

Can you and other nappers here explain how you are able to find somewhere to nap in a busy office environment (and your car isn't available)? For me, lying on the floor would be far too noisy with hundreds of PCs humming away and I would be at constant risk of being stepped on by my colleagues.

In the three most recent offices I've needed to nap in, I napped: Sitting on a sofa with my head back against the wall; lying down on an oversized bean-bag cushion; in a computer chair, with my butt moved towards the front of it and my head back against the top of the back (the back wasn't tall enough unless I scootched forward). The last was obviously the least comfortable.

In general, I've found the biggest obstacles are social (i.e., people think you're lazy), not logistical. But these are largely gone for me now that I'm running my own company. My cofounder and I have vowed to not just tell any future employees that napping is acceptable, but to actually keep doing it, so they see that we're serious and feel comfortable napping themselves should they want to.

I'd recommend telling your coworkers/boss that napping makes you more productive, and that you only take one 20-minute nap a day. If they're silly and care about exact minutes worked, just show up a few minutes early or start a bit later.

When it comes to the social stigma of taking a nap at work, just ask if they'd prefer you take a smoke break every hour. Usually, people will get the hint. If not, too bad.

Former coworker of mine used to take, "non-smoking breaks". I always thought that was clever. Now I feel bad for never telling him so...

I used to go for frequent walks... people assumed I smoked.

I usually fold my arms on the desk and sleep with my head down, you have to be careful to make sure you let enough oxygen through and also to not cut circulation from your arm for too long. If I sleep for too long this way my arms become numb, but sometimes I'm so tired I just don't care =)

This is so unnecessary and demeaning. At least bring along one of those little bean-bag pillows you could prop your head on. But the real solution is for the company to provide sleeping facilities at work and not to work their employees to the point of exhaustion and sleep deprivation.

not to work their employees to the point of exhaustion and sleep deprivation.

Genuinely curious: How much of the sleep deprivation is due to employment practices, and how much is due to, say, American cultural values? Are we sleeping less because our employers or our social lives demand more?

One hour+ commute, enough time to prep and eat or go out and eat food, enough time at night to not go bed right after eating, not good for your health, squeeze in an hour of exercise per day, a tiny bit of social interaction with friends and/or family, equals less than 8 (some times even less than 7) hours of sleep. And over the long term for most people 6 hours a night results in sleep deprivation.

But some are lucky genetic mutants. I am not one of them.

You can try what I always did in high school: bend over your desk and nuzzle into the crook of your elbow.

I'm not a regular napper, but whenever I've napped in a busy office, the best approach I've found is to head out to a park, find a shady spot and lie down. Take a towel so you don't get dirty or itchy

Options here are obviously, book a meeting, pretend you're going for a run, out to lunch or a coffee.

when the car wasn't available, i slept, i am sorry, in a toilet. (later i noticed that not only me was who did that, so i've nothing to be ashamed of)

Not only is it good for your energy level and mental focus, a 20 minute nap mid-day is a nice break for the eyes.

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