An 8 Minute Nap ... it works for me!

Welcome to Day 10 of the 31 Days series It Works for Me!

I don't do this every day.  I wish to do it every day, but I don't:

NAP

Is that not the most beautiful word in the English language?  

I'm not talking about a four hour leave-the-planet kind of nap, though.  I'm talking about an 8 minute nap. More than that, and it's hard to wake up ... much less get up.  

An 8 minute nap is just enough to make that dragging, walking through water feeling go away, and enough to perk up the brain cells so they can function.

I have to set myself up right, otherwise I just lie there being frustrated that I can't settle down

enough to drift off.  Here's what I recommend:

a darkened room

an eye mask

a light weight blanket

a digital book on your MP3 player

an alarm set to go off in 15 minutes

a list of things you are going to do when you get up

I've found that if I'm listening to something - preferably a book - I'm more likely 

to drop off to sleep.  I'm not sure why ... I maybe because it keeps my brain from 

winding itself up too tightly thinking about all the things I should be doing.   

But I know if I can really let myself go for just those few minutes, 

I can jump back into the daily flow with twice the energy.

I had an uncle who worked for the railroad.  He was at work every morning way before dawn.  

Once I asked him how he did that, and he said, "if you always put your feet on the ground the moment you hear the alarm go off, you'll never have a problem."  

So I take his advice with the nap's over alarm and get myself back to work on the first ring.  

Do you ever squeeze in a power nap when you're feeling tired?  

You should try it ... it works for me!

... this post is dedicated to Aaron, who clearly knows his business when it comes to naps ...