Better Than an Afternoon Coffee

I used to joke that I was meant to live in Spain where daily siestas are a thing. Any culture that promotes naps is amazing in my book. ??

And, besides being a totally awesome cultural tradition, they’re on to something.

Now I LOVE a good latte as much as the next corporate achievement junkie, and I even collect different coffee making apparatuses… have you ever used a coffee sock? ??…but coffee increases cortisol, one of our stress hormones, so it’s not great if you’re already stressed. And according to the National library of medicine on the pharmacology of caffeine, it has a half-life of 1.5 to 9.5 hours, so it’s better to skip that afternoon cup, otherwise getting to a good night’s rest might be tough.

So, let’s talk about the leg up power nap.

I first heard about this method from Jocko Willink, a celebrated Navy Seal and author, when he talked about being deployed during the war in Iraq and how there was very little sleep. It’s not like they could pull over and stay at the Hilton for the night. So instead, they would take power naps with their legs up and they could feel rejuvenated in as short as 8–10 minutes.

It turns out that lying in this position, with your legs elevated above your heart, has positive effects on your circulation, giving your heart some rest and helping with blood pressure. It also helps with lymphatic drainage, because you have major lymph nodes behind your knee area that drain and process waste.

I soon coupled this concept with a physical exercise I learned from my physical therapist who specializes in a method called Egoscue. The pose itself is called “static back.” You lie on the floor with your legs elevated, your arms out at your sides at 45 degrees, palms up. Lying in this position helps to reset your hips and shoulders, or as Egoscue explains, “creates horizontal load between the shoulder and pelvis, contributing to thoracic extension and engages your hip flexors.” All that means is it’s good for your shoulders, back, and hips.

I recommend putting something over your eyes, like a sleep mask. I have several kinds and will talk a little bit about the pros and cons of each. But you could use anything, a tie, T-shirt, shirt sleeve. Just anything to block out light. I’ve used a sock. A clean one, not one from my foot, but you do you.

I have a bean bag sleep mask, filled with rice and lavender. It’s a standard spa mask that you can heat or freeze, which is nice, but it’s a bit bulky. I also have a flat satin mask that is my absolute favorite. I’ve had it for 15 years plus, and it’s great because you can lie in any position, back, side, stomach and it still feels comfortable. I recently another mask, with a bumper around the eyes. It’s nice because you can literally open your eyes while you’re wearing it, and it is pitch dark. The drawback is that it’s not as comfortable laying on your side and not good for stomach sleeping.

If you are at home, it is also nice to cover yourself with a light blanket. Not required, but a bit of a cozy factor. You CAN do this in the office. I’ve done it when I was in corporate, especially on international business trips. If you have an office with a door, it’s easy. Or you can find a small conference room or "quiet room" if your company has them. Simply lay down a towel or your jacket if you don’t want to lie on the carpeted floor.

If none of that is available, you can still get most of the benefits by simply, but carefully putting your feet on the desk and raising them above your heart. Again, 8 to 10 minutes is great. At home I like to extend it to 20–30 minutes. If you go much longer than 30 minutes you risk getting sleep inertia, which is when your body starts a sleep cycle and is interrupted. This makes you feel disoriented and decreases cognitive function, so best to keep it under 30 minutes.

Now a pro tip, once your alarm goes stand up jump around a bit. Just be careful because getting up too fast can make you dizzy. You can pump your arms in the air a few times to wake up your body and get that blood flowing in all the parts again.

Viola- better than coffee and you won’t have a crash, or late night insomnia due to late caffeine consumption.

Follow and subscribe for more wellness tips!

And remember…self-care isn’t selfish, it’s a necessity!

Yvonne Lee-Hawkins is a stress strategist, writer, and holistic wellness coach. She has tried and tested countless health and wellness strategies to help her deal with the relentless pressures of her former high achieving corporate career and motherhood. When she is not working, she loves to go on adventures with her family, in the Pacific Northwest where they call home. You can find out more on her website.