Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Prototype - We’ll Fill This Space, but First a Nap
NYTimes.com: "Most people, Dr. Ellenbogen says, think of the sleeping brain as similar to a computer that has “gone to sleep” — it does nothing productive. Wrong. Sleep enhances performance, learning and memory. Most unappreciated of all, sleep improves creative ability to generate aha! moments and to uncover novel connections among seemingly unrelated ideas."
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8 comments:
I have always believed that the advice "just sleep on it" had some legitimate reasoning behind it, but I've found I can never actually get to sleep if I hope to resolve a problem. I think that it's easy to forget the importance of sleep when time is a precious commodity, especially in the case of traveling which often doesn't provide restful sleep but dreariness.
I think its interesting that we have these pods in the library. ALthough I have never experienced the pod, I know people who do, and many of them awake 5 minutes later feeling very refreshed. i think more businesses should get napping pods to help increase their workers mental capacity....especially those in the performing arts.
As with any task you are trying to complete, theater has a point at which the work you do is no longer productive. There is a fine line between getting the work done and doing the work well. The important thing is identifying when you are "past the point of no return".
The concept of thinking more clearly when well rested, or even after a couple hours of sleep is well supported by my own experiences. Even after taking an extended break from an intense or difficult project, I find that I am more efficient at accomplishing things.
I readily agree and welcome this new breakthrough! I think just about everyone can say that they do not get enough sleep. People have told me in the past how "cat naps" or power naps" work for them and truly improve their performance, but i never believed them. After reading this article however i have a totally new perspective. I just wish they expanded a bit more and got into the specifics about how long one's naps should be and such, because i would like to conduct this little experiment in my own!
I don't know if society in general has a bias against sleep; I think it's more of an individual bias. When I have a lot to do, I tend to easily accept the fact that I may only sleep for a couple hours before getting up and working some more, but I often encourage other people to get more sleep rather than obsess over details of projects or papers. Sleep really is one of the best ways to solve your problems, whether you're sick or you have a project to finish.
I have never been a a fan of the concept of power naps, as I often find it difficult to clear my mind and go to sleep if I am worried about completing a project or solving a problem. However, lately time management has become a big issue in my life and I have found that sometimes taking a simple break does not work and the only way to continue being productive is to completely clear your mind. I plan to give the idea of power naps another try and see if they can be as successful for me as others claim they are for them.
I agree with Isabella on the idea of power naps. I usually feel guilty sleeping during the day if I know that I have several things that need to get done. I do agree that there are times, however, when you need to take a time out and schedule some away time from the task you are working on. I cannot work on the same thing for too long a period of time, or I will become unfocused, but I've never thought to take a nap before now.
I find some humor in the number of quotes that this article has gotten given the drama departments tendency to not sleep, but anyways. I'm starting to get sick of scientific studies that confirm what most people already seem to know. Beyond being able to stay awake in class better, I can see a definite change in my notes depending on if I worked late or went to bed at a reasonable time. I didn't need a study to be done to know that I think clearer and more coherently when I'd gotten even a small amount of sleep, I've pulled all nighters by accident before, and the following days were painful. Now if only we could get one of those sleep pod things in the Purnell...
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