Photo by Aleksandar Cvetanovic on Unsplash
Harness the transformative power of the power nap (falling asleep not required!), where music becomes the secret ingredient for rejuvenation. Discover how a carefully curated playlist, like a Pavlovian trigger, can guide your mind into a state of restful calmness. Craft your own bespoke power nap playlist and emerge refreshed for the challenges ahead.
I’m Mindy Peterson, host of Enhance Life with Music podcast, where we explore the ways music makes our lives better. And this is Microhance, a micro-dose of musical enhancement.
I zealously guard my sleep, but there are occasions when I have a very short night and am really struggling to get through the day. This happened to me last week when I had a late commitment the night before an early morning flight. On days like this, I’ve found that a short power nap is like magic for giving me the boost I need to get me through the rest of the day. Now, my definition of a power nap may be different than you think – I do not fall asleep (I wish I could, but that just doesn’t happen for me). Possibly because of this, music is the secret sauce that turns time spent horizontal into a rejuvenating power nap.
Here are the 4 elements of MY power nap:
- Horizontal is key. Sitting up in a plane just doesn’t do it for me.
- Eyes closed is the second factor.
- Time: 20 minutes is ideal (and I rarely go over this), but if I can get even 10 minutes, this can work.
- Enter the secret sauce: Music. Without it, my mind is left to its own devices and before I know it, it’s spinning. The right music, though, is like a gentle guided meditation for my brain. It gives me just enough to focus on to stay on the right path – idling on the path of rest.
I was never a napper until around 2009, when I was experiencing severe insomnia for several years. I stumbled on an old album that I had always found extremely soothing and calming and relaxing – it was Kenny G’s Breathless from the early 90s! That became my go-to, and I found that using the same music for JUST that one purpose (power nap) created a Pavlovian response – just hearing one of those songs instantly puts me in a restful, calm state, the way a certain smell can instantly take you somewhere.
Here’s a little clip of one of the songs, called “A Year Ago,” just to give you an example.
Thankfully, the insomnia chapter is behind me; but the power nap playlist has stuck and enhanced my life on so many days when I just don’t get the sleep I need, or am sick, or overly tired for some other reason. Those Kenny G songs are now my Naptime Spotify playlist. Thankfully, I don’t need it often, but when I do, it’s magic.
A quick note: I set a timer for however many minutes I have – somewhere between 10 and 20. When that timer goes off, I do NOT feel like getting up. BUT… once I do, I am always amazed at the difference those minutes make for the rest of the day.
As is often the case with musical hacks, individualization is key. Kenny G is NOT going to induce the response in everyone else that it induces in me. I first listened to this album in high school when I wanted to chill out and relax, and that experience colors its effect on me today. But you may already know exactly which music will have that effect on you; and if not, experiment!
If you have, or find, a go-to song or playlist that has a deeply restful effect on you, I would love to hear about it.
You can always connect with me on email (mindy@mpetersonmusic.com), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
I’m Mindy Peterson, and I hope this inspires you to enhance your life with music.
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