Preparing for finals means you must face the ups and downs of your day.

Most of us have heard about an internal clock in each of us called circadian rhythms. (from the Latin circa which means around and diem which means day. Think carpe diem – translated Seize the day!) What we know about circadian rhythms is that each of us have mood and energy highs and dips throughout the day. Research shows that people follow a general pattern in any given day:  a peak, a trough, then another peak before a decline in energy when we fall asleep again for the night. Patterns aren’t identical for each person – just as my blood pressure and pulse aren’t exactly the same as yours. But the overall shape of the pattern are similar for everyone.

 

What does this have to do with preparing for finals?

Something that everyone knows. As you go through your day you will experience a dip in energy, mood and emotions.  Again this is something that your and my mom knew intuitively. There comes a time in the day when sweet little Bobby and Suzy just need a NAP. Wait. Am I suggesting that you take a nap? You betcha! One study showed that an afternoon nap expands the brain’s capacity to learn. In another study nappers were twice as likely to solve a complex problem than people who hadn’t napped or who had spent the time in other activities. Napping boosts short-term memory as well as associative memory, the type of memory that allow us to match a face to a name.

 

Unlike our preschool selves, or unless we are on vacation somewhere near a beach, we don’t have time in the day to take a two hour nap. So how can we take a rest during our natural circadian dip in our day. That time of day when, we can’t get anything done anyway? Here are some tips to strategic nap taking!

How to take the PERFECT nap:

Find you afternoon trough time.

 

The Mayo Clinic says that the best time for a nap is between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. If you keep a log of you ups and downs in mood, energy and emotions, you’ll find that you will see a consistent block of time when things begin to go south, which for many people is about seven hours after waking up. This is your best nap time.

Create a peaceful place.

Turn off your phone. If you can close the door. Darken the room. Use earplugs or headphones and an eye mask.

Drink a cup of coffee.

Wait. What? Really. The caffeine wont’ kick in for about 25 minutes, so drink it up right before you lie down. (If you’re not a coffee drinker, skip this step.)

Set a timer for twenty-five minutes.

If you nap for more than 30 minutes, you’ll wake up groggy. If you nap for less than five minutes, you don’t derive the benefit of napping. Naps between ten and twenty minutes boost alertness and mental function without leaving you feeling groggy. Most people nod off after seven minutes, so twenty-five minute countdown clock is ideal. And when you wake up, the caffeine is beginning to kick in.

Repeat.

Make your nap a ritual and you could begin to feel better. But if you don’t have the flexibility of a daily naptime then pick days that are extra stressful or demanding.

 

Do you want to learn more about how time works best for you? Read Daniel Pink’s new book. When: the Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.