October 19, 2006
Power Nap Legal?
Taking a potentially life-saving kip by the side of the road will still be legal and encouraged, despite a proposed local law banning camping in cars, City Hall said yesterday.
The assurance comes after council last week announced the proposed ban as part of a range of measures aimed at curbing anti-social behaviour like hooning and chroming.
Several readers contacted the Geelong Advertiser querying whether council's new laws were at odds with road safety campaigns by the police and TAC.
But council's governance portfolio holder Jan Farrell said the proposed law targeted people sleeping overnight in their cars, especially during holiday periods like Easter and New Year's Eve.
``The police always have discretion, and the police would welcome powernapping as would the rest of the community, and would not be penalising people for powernapping,'' Cr Farrell said.
``In particular we've had a problem in Ocean Grove on New Year's Eve, so this law is to assist police with managing these problems.
``It's responding to requests by our police and our community.''
And police were yesterday singing from the same songsheet, emphasising they would apply the laws, if passed, with a good dose of discretion and commonsense.
Inspector Bill Mathers, of Geelong police, said the new laws would prevent people abusing a loophole in local laws.
``It's basically to stop people coming down and being able to party then sleep all night in their cars,'' he said.
``We don't want carloads of people rocking up without accommodation and causing disruption to the local community.
``It's not to stop people having a powernap and we still encourage that.''
Similar laws already apply in Surf Coast Shire, where police can issue $125 on-the-spot fines for car camping.
Power Nap Hotel
This full service, all-suite, 225-room hotel is located in north Raleigh, directly across from the Crabtree Valley Mall. It’s only 20 minutes from RDI Airport, the State Capitol, and the Raleigh Convention and Conference Center.
Each room comes with a mini refrigerator, microwave, and free Wi-Fi. There’s an in-hotel restaurant, Nicola's Ristorante, which has delicious Italian and American cuisine, as well as an indoor pool and whirlpool, fitness center, and computer work station. (All the comforts of home, yes; but you will have to leave at some point.)
Business travelers have access to 3,200 square feet of meeting facilities; you can request exactly how much space you’ll need, as well as what equipment you may want, via the hotel’s online request form. The Gothic Boardroom offers a classic boardroom setting for small groups; the Romanesque Room, which can seat as many as 200 comfortably, is the ideal place for presentations.
Also, when innovation just won’t wait and time is of the essence — isn’t there some well-known saying about time and money? — there’s a self-service kiosk that lets you check in as fast as an idea switching on.
See you in Raleigh.
http://embassysuites.hilton.com
Power Naps Increase Productivity
The Mediterranean countries got it right. Whether you call it the catnap, catchgrabforty winks, dozing, or the siesta, the afternoon snooze is so much more than a brief rest, it is a way of life. It is in the opinion of this much-sleep-deprived writer that naps are the source behind the relaxed and joyous Mediterranean lifestyle, and it is about time that Canadians adopted it too. Otherwise, they may end up paying its price… with their life!
When I was sixteen, a friend of mine told me that humans can live longer without food but with sleep, rather than the other way around. That comment has since stuck with me, and there is plenty of evidence to prove it. There are many well documented studies relating the benefits of a siesta to a healthier, more productive life. Recent MRI’s of nappers show that their intellectual performance and brain activity stays high throughout the day, while that of non-nappers declines. But how is it possible for those who take away from their work hour to sleep, to get more done than those of their non-napping comrades? The answer lies in human biology.
The human biological clock is set for more than 24 hour days, therefore, the body goes through rest cycles. Generally around , the body releases hormones requiring it to rest. Failure to do so will result in an impairment of judgment, performance, and alertness. According to a study held by Dr. Landrigan of the United States Health Institute, residency interns working the traditional schedule, made 36% more errors, than those of which had the opportunity to rest and nap. Traditional interns also had twice the rate of attention failures.
How important is an afternoon rest? Let’s put it this way, a 20 minute nap in the afternoon has more restorative qualities than sleeping 20 minutes longer in the morning. Though one hour naps have more restorative qualities than 20 minute ones, doctors suggest that napping anywhere between 15 to 20 minutes can heighten performance. Interestingly enough, many Japanese offices provide their employees napping rooms or desk pillows as part of a study to examine the benefits of napping on productivity- so far, the conclusion has been positive.
Sleep deprivation is tied into a number of negative symptoms including bad memory, exhaustion, excessive stress (just look at investment bankers), lack of motivation, and stunted growth! Yes, a lack of sleep and napping leads to a stunted growth, because all body development and growth spurts take place only when we are asleep. So for those who feel vertically challenged, it is not too late to catch up on some Z’s and reverse the trend.
So besides the health benefits and better productivity, why should Canadians adopt a siesta? First off, some of the greatest minds were self-proclaimed nappers and contributed much of their innovation and ideas to sleep, including Einstein, Da Vinci, Eidson, and Margaret Thatcher. In fact, Nobel laureate Otto Loewi, who discovered the chemical basis of neurotransmission in 1921, attributed his experimental design to an insight he made during sleep. Secondly, a nice rest takes out the edge in people’s attitude, and who wouldn’t want a more pleasant
Power Nap is new Coffee Break?
Now, some employers see it as a way to get more out of their workers.
Call it the new coffee break.
It's a small but growing movement to address a nation of sleep-deprived workers.
For one Colorado company, a 20-minute nap is part of the job description. Cynthia McKay of Le Gourmet Gift Baskets said the naps help out the business "in the long run."
Sleep experts said employers are starting to recognize the important roll sleep plays in total body health and function.
