Not everyone can take a midday nap to recharge for the rest of the day, but experts suggest a simple trick that provides the same benefits of napping and helps alleviate the effects of sleep deprivation.
According to research from Oregon State University, when busy individuals lack the time to nap, they may be able to renew their energy through wakefulness exercises such as meditation. Charles Murnieks, the study's lead author and an associate professor at the University of Missouri, stated, "You can't replace sleep with wakefulness exercises, but they may help compensate and provide a degree of relief."
Researchers surveyed 105 entrepreneurs in the U.S. about their levels of fatigue, their sleeping duration, and whether they practiced any wakefulness exercises. Over 40% of respondents reported working an average of 50 hours a week or more, sleeping less than six hours a night. Those who slept more or engaged in higher levels of wakefulness exercises reported lower levels of fatigue.
The research paper published in the journal Business Venturing indicates, "Our model suggests that an increase of 70 minutes in wakefulness exercises per week equates to 44 extra minutes of sleep each night in reducing noticeable fatigue among the entrepreneurs in our sample, which is equivalent to just 10 minutes a day."
A second study involving 329 workers reached similar conclusions, with the researchers making an important distinction: those who got enough sleep but still felt fatigued did not benefit from meditation. Murnieks noted, "If you are feeling stressed and not getting enough sleep, you can compensate somewhat with wakefulness exercises, but when you are not sleep-deprived, wakefulness does not improve these feelings of fatigue."
Mindfulness works to modulate and reduce stress before it leads to exhaustion. Sleep, on the other hand, helps replenish energy and self-control after experiencing fatigue. Wakefulness exercises typically involve sitting still and focusing on what you feel around you, which may include breathing exercises or body scan meditation to relax the muscles, according to the New York Post.
The 4-7-8 breathing method is a simple breathing exercise you can try:
1. Start by inhaling through your nose while counting to four.
2. Hold this breath for seven seconds.
3. Exhale slowly through your mouth for eight seconds.
4. Repeat this process.
