Power Napping: How To Fall Asleep Anywhere
This is part 2 of my post from last week on how to design the perfect nap.
Today, I’d like to continue by talking about how you can fall asleep no matter where you are. This is useful for napping in airports, couches, or at your desk if need be.
The trick is the use sleep MP3’s such as these. They are essentially MP3’s that play white noise for the duration of the nap, and then slowly wake you up by playing a variety of sounds. Whats great is that you can play them on your computer speakers, or make them portable by putting them on your iPod or cell phone.
They are so helpful (and far superior to a traditional alarm clock) for a few reasons.
- It’s too easy to make mistakes when setting an alarm for a nap. Alarm clocks are designed to be changed rarely, and used over and over at the same time each day. The math that is required to count x minutes ahead and get all the buttons right, while being sleep deprived, is just asking for errors.
- Napping is not dependent on the time of day, it’s dependent on the length. The length of the mp3 never changes, so it is as simple as pressing play to get it right.
- These mp3’s use white noise to block out other sounds and and soothe you to sleep. When I first heard it, I found it a little bit annoying, but I quickly grew to enjoy the sound, and it works better than earplugs to block out unwanted noises.
- They wake you up gradually. Some start with relaxing clucking of chickens or a rooster, then play some music, and end with loud explosions and a human voice letting you know it’s time to get up if you still haven’t gotten up. This is much more effective (and pleasant) than a single tone that you will angrily turn off.
- They are portable. I have one of these MP3’s on my blackberry so if I need to fall asleep, I just put in my standard headphones and I’m out. You can also carry them on your iPod.
Some finals tips for the perfect nap:
If you are sensitive to light, you may want to combine this with a sleep mask which will block out the light.
Make sure you are as warm as possible, since just having cold feet or hands can be enough to prevent sleep.
Finally, if you normally like to sleep on your side, and you don’t have a pillow handy, you may have to try sleeping on your back. This will allow your head to be in a natural position without a pillow. Even though I never sleep on my back in bed, I’m able to nap in this position, so give it a try.
Using these simple techniques, you will likely be able to fall asleep in most environments, and wake up ready to take on the day!
Brian Armstrong is an entrepreneur who achieved financial freedom working for himself by age 23. You can learn how to quit your 9-to-5 job, start your own business, and begin building wealth at his website: StartBreakingFree.com
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Comments
Danielle says on June 20th, 2007 at 11:01 am
I can never sleep while traveling by bus, train or plane. Even with music and meditation, I’ll relax but never dose off. I’ll have to try these mp3s especially the next time I travel to India.
Thanks for the tip.
jeremiah says on June 20th, 2007 at 12:15 pm
I have no problem sleeping - how do I stay awake!!!
Wolfger says on June 20th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
Jeremiah: I think that if you get enough sleep, staying awake will cease to be a problem.
Bret says on June 20th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Oh come on. What’s with the racist imagery? Is that really necessary?
BrianArmstrong says on June 20th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Haha, as the author we don’t select the images that go on this page, but that’s interesting. It never would have occurred to me to think that!
Brian
TFFDavid says on June 20th, 2007 at 7:31 pm
The more sleep I get the worse I feel. I never have a nap through the day.
Doug says on June 20th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I don’t know for sure, but from what I can see of the persons skin tone they look fairly caucasian, and overall quite touristy (is that even a word?). It says to me “All you caucasians are lazy tourists with bad taste in style!” I mean, I have yet to see a guy dressed like that in my stays to Mexico, unless he was trying to sell things to tourists
Leon says on June 20th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
@Bret: I chose that image. Why would you think that is racist?
Kyle says on June 20th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
Can we get mirrors for the MP3’s? None of the links seem to work, even Eric’s version. Thanks, definitely looking to try this!
Leon says on June 20th, 2007 at 7:58 pm
There are couple of good results from Google with the query “sleep MP3″
yoshi says on June 20th, 2007 at 8:09 pm
Sounds interesting. I’ll try, but not now.
Chimpu says on June 20th, 2007 at 9:28 pm
I’ll mirror them soon…
Jacob says on June 20th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Any thoughts on whether someone would become dependent on white noise in the mp3 in order to fall asleep?
frank says on June 21st, 2007 at 12:00 am
Last time I feel asleep on a train I woke up with my pants around my ankles.
E says on June 21st, 2007 at 12:30 am
Darude - Sandstorm
This might be the killer wakeup song!
CodedChaos says on June 21st, 2007 at 12:36 am
Mirror of the files on http://www.placebo.serv.co.za/?page_id=7 here: http://media.codedchaos.com/polynap/
enjoy!
Phillip says on June 21st, 2007 at 1:46 am
Pzizz is what I use, and I’ve found it very useful to drop off to for a power nap. I’ve also found that the energiser naps are good if you are driving a long way. Stopping off en route, listening to the energiser in the car and when you are brought round from your slumber you are good to carry on driving
michael says on June 21st, 2007 at 2:10 am
bret is obviously an idiot, and unfamiliar with siesta, when people (mostly from spanish speaking countries, such as mexico, which it appears the picture is portraying) take a nap in the afternoon. which is what this post is all about. you idiot.
Cira says on June 21st, 2007 at 4:12 am
You know.. I think that it is quite possible that someone could become dependent on the white noise - I work 3rd shift and need light to sleep.
BrianArmstrong says on June 21st, 2007 at 4:35 am
Thanks for the comments everyone. The response to this has been great. If anyone find others sleep mp3’s that they enjoy please post links!
Brian
Charles Blundell says on June 21st, 2007 at 7:13 am
Hi…. Pzizz is also a great tool for napping and for falling asleep at night http://www.pzizz.com
I bought a copy and have used it every night for the past 4 months !!
Cheers.
Andrew Swihart says on June 21st, 2007 at 9:01 am
To me this article suggests sleep mp3’s, and that’s the end of any useful advice.
In contrast to what you said about keeping warm when going to sleep, sleep studies find that sleep occurs typically after a drop in temperature, not a rise.
Also, we are all sensitive to light. Sleep experts consider light to be one half of the equation determining your sleep cycle, making it very important to block out light, no matter who you are. If you have really thick eyelids you should be covered, though.
Andrew Swihart says on June 21st, 2007 at 9:12 am
Sorry Cira, I should have said, if you usually sleep with light, it is important not to block out any light, :).
Akiacat says on June 21st, 2007 at 9:38 am
Can someone make a torrent of those mp3s and put them somewhere (PirateBay for instance)? Thanks
BrianArmstrong says on June 21st, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Here, I put a mirror of the 20 minute sleep mp3 on my website: http://www.startbreakingfree.c.....inutes.mp3
Enjoy!
Brian
fractal says on June 21st, 2007 at 3:49 pm
mp3s cannot play white noise by their very nature. White noise, is similar to the colour (or shade) white which is made up from all of the primary colours. White noise is essentially tones from all frequencies played together.
MP3 works by cutting out the frequencies that humans cant hear, and depending on the level of compression, some you can. What you have can no longer be called White Noise.
Bret says on June 21st, 2007 at 4:15 pm
@Leon:
I know about the siesta tradition in many Spanish speaking countries. The image linked here, however, does not show or promote the siesta tradition. Rather, it promotes a harmful stereotype.
The reason I called it racist is because it promotes the stereotype that Mexicans are lazy. One image that has promoted this over and over again is the sleeping Mexican in his sombrero and serape. A quick google image search of “Mexican” will show that this stereotype is prevalent. By using this image, despite the kid under the serape being white (because it’s quite clearly a Mexican garment), you’re contributing to a negative stereotype.
Now, I know some will come over here and claim that, “It’s not racist” or that they’re Mexican and it doesn’t offend them. It’s a controversial topic to be sure. However, rather than contribute to a (potentially) harmful tradition, you might consider changing the image. The good it will do more than outweighs any potential harm to this site or the authors freedom of speech (especially since he didn’t even choose the image).
Andrew Swihart says on June 21st, 2007 at 4:34 pm
Bret - Your comments offend me, and I don’t like how you are making fun of someone who would say “it’s not racist” like that’s some kind of punchline (because, of course, EVERYTHING is racist, especially when race is mentioned or implied in a statement). Yes, even your comment is racist, and you should be ashamed of yourself.
Bret says on June 21st, 2007 at 6:52 pm
@Andrew -
I’m sorry I offended you. However, I don’t think I should be ashamed of myself.
I’m going to disagree with your entire statement. I wasn’t trying to shut down any comments against me, I was simply saying that there are those that feel such images aren’t racist, but just because they don’t think it’s racist doesn’t make it so. It wasn’t a punchline at all.
Secondly, not everything is racist - especially when one talks about race. In order to look at race critically and see what kind of impact it’s having today, you need to be able to discuss it. And let’s face it, race has an impact on your being today, for better or worse. (Examples being Muslims, the Blacks in New Orleans, etc.) Being “color-blind” is only making the harmful effects of racism hidden.
Nathan210 says on June 22nd, 2007 at 12:09 am
do you have any mp3’s for just falling asleep at night?
Leon says on June 23rd, 2007 at 11:11 am
@Bret: Similar to how Andrew responds to your comment, the message/image/whatever will be racist/stereotype only if you think it is. No one has the intention of doing it and the article is not promoting such message. If the content has such message then I think you can argue about the image. Illustration is only an illustration.
I am going to remove the image, and close this comment because most of the comments here are not focused contributing to this content at all.