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Comment by x0054 | Hacker News Reader

While studying for the bar, I used to take 2 hour 'naps' in the middle of the day. My schedule was 4 hours on, some food and nap, 4 hours on. Probably most productive 3 months of my life. I got to say, those siesta embracing countries might be on to something.

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It's thought to be a more natural sleep pattern, and us westerners have beaten it out of ourselves:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-16964783

"His book At Day's Close: Night in Times Past, published four years later, unearths more than 500 references to a segmented sleeping pattern - in diaries, court records, medical books and literature, from Homer's Odyssey to an anthropological account of modern tribes in Nigeria. "

I was not aware of this book. Sounds fascinating. One of my favorite articles I've ever read was in an anthropological course that detailed some of these same findings cross culturally.

The title of the article is "Slumbers Unexplored Landscape" I'd link to it but what I've found is I believe behind a paywall. I'm employed at a university so sometimes I don't notice paywalls.

I agree. A weekend nap is a beautiful thing. Couldn't pull it off at work. Sometimes I cheat by having coffee just before. Then I wake up 20 mins later with the dual benefit of sleep plus caffeine kicking in.

This kind of a pillow wouldn't work? :)

http://designyoutrust.com/productdesign/power-nap-office-pil...

It would be glorious, but probably borrowed away very quickly!

I usually feel groggy after naps and it would be hard for me to go back to studying or working.

It's not the nap that makes you groggy, it's at what point your sleep cycle you wake up - you want to wake up at the end of one, but before the next one kicks in. It takes a bit of practice to figure out what yours is. If this is very hard it probably means you're sleep deprived in general (then again, living a Western lifestyle makes it likely you're sleep deprived by default).

There are thing you can do to make naps more effective. I do well with a 20 minute nap in mid-day, but I'll feel groggy if I nap for too long. It's better if I don't lie down, but instead sit in a comfy chair, so I don't go too deeply asleep. If you drink coffee, have a cup before the nap, and the caffeine should kick in about the time you want to wake up. Other suggestions can be found on line.

For me I think part of the problem is that I cant just go to sleep it takes me almost 30 minutes just to relax into a state where my mind isnt thinking.

A little exercise after your nap, like a few pushups or a run around the block really pushes the grogginess away in my experience. As others pointed out, the timing is key too. 15-20 minute naps works because you are in the pre-sleep state, so you never completely turnoff. However, if you sleep longer, you need to sleep for at least 90 minutes or so, otherwise you will wake up right in the middle of your sleep cycle. I am not sure if that's bad for you, probably not, but it does make you feel like crap.

It's probably a little different with everyone, so practice makes perfect :)

Your nap is probably too long. Either that, or you are sleep deprived, thus getting into deep sleep much faster.

Practice helps.

Did you pass?

Yes, first try :) I kind of wish I could also get my score, but they don't release it.

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