Nap in your car toolkit
Admit it…
If you haven’t actually done it, you’ve thought about it.
While in grad school I mastered the art of taking a power nap just about anywhere. Library? Check. My Office? Check. On The Quad in the grass? Check. Standing in line at the store? Check. The one place I have managed to master the art of the quick nap is in my car. It’s not hard, but there are certain things you need to have in order for your power nap to be effective!
What you’ll need:
- A car. This should be self explanatory.
- A parking place where the security or police won’t come knocking on your window.
- A small but comfortable pillow. You can, of course, use something else–a towel, blanket, sweatshirt–but little pillows are the best.
- A blanket. In the summer you won’t need this, obviously, but in the winter it can be a good idea.
- An eye pillow! Of everything on this list, an eye pillow, or sleep mask is the most important! You don’t get any kind of restful sleep when you’ve got the sun bleeding through your eyelids. Sleep masks are good, but if you can get an eye pillow with lavender inside, it’s also very calming.
It takes some getting used to, but I’m a big fan of the afternoon nap. Maybe it’s the lifestyle that I have become accustomed to with needing to catch sleep whenever I can, but if I’m tired I can’t concentrate. I’m much more productive when I’ve had a power nap. I did it today and it made a big difference in the way I tackled the afternoon. So if you’re crabby or lagging throughout the day try a quick power nap in your car… Just make sure you have your phone or an alarm of some kind!
May 13th, 2008 at 10:15 am
Dawn,
You mean you haven’t heard about the Dreamhelmet? You are trying to re-invent the wheel.
The Dreamhelmet is a combination sleep mask sound-blocking pillow designed for catching a few winks in your car or anywhere else. $29 US bucks. - not sold in stores. Order one from website - http://www.dreamhelmet.com
May 13th, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I’m a big fan of car naps. I am a gifted napper though; I don’t need a pillow or blanket or eyemask. I just lean the seat back as far as it can go and close my eyes. Leaning way back also helps remove one from view of passersby.
I also used to nap under my desk, if the office area was quiet enough. Or if I had a private office, I’d just rest my head on my arms, right on my desk.
At Oracle, one guy on my team kept pillows and blankets under his desk for his naps.
May 13th, 2008 at 3:46 pm
One addition, as the weather gets warmer: a small, battery-powered fan. You stay cool, and the white noise helps as well.