17.08.2010
Parlez-vous créatif?How to manage creatives? Robert Gerlach will give a keynote at the Trendforum 2010 in Munich in November.
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13:19 » snooze or loose
Have you ever felt tired after lunch break?Interestingly this reaction of the body is not caused by the food itself, but is a chronobiological* reaction of the body that hits rock bottom twice a day. Once after midnight and once in the early afternoon. That's why in ancient cultures the siesta was part of the day.
Unfortunately the siesta who had been practiced for thousands of years is not scheduled anymore in our daily routine. Almost every other mammal on the planet naps. We humans have not evolved past this basic need.Besides, power napping is not just a need, it can boost performance. According to studies of the US NASA, power napping improves productivity in the afternoon by 35% and the ability to make decisions by 50%. Another study by the Japanese scientist Shizuo Trii proves that a quick nap enhances creativity. During this brief sleep the right cerebral hemisphere gets activated.
Not convinced yet? Here are some great achievers who instinctively applied this knowledge: Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Brahms, Napoléon Bonaparte, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy and Thomas Edison used a regular napp to faciliate full engagement.
Recommendation: Sleep and Alertness: Chronobiological, Behavioral, and Medical Aspects of Napping, David F. Dinges and Roger J. Broughton. The authors present extensive findings on napping patterns in adults and on the effects of napping on performance during prolonged work periods and in shift workers. Full consideration is also given to cultural views on napping and the siesta.
* Science of the intrinsic rhythm of living being.