Semi-Retirement Experiments, Mastering The Nap And The Coffee Nap

*I wrote this post before the COVID pandemic started, but feel it’s even more timely now. Some of you now have more time on your hands, hopefully not because you lost your job, but maybe just because you don’t have a commute. But keep in mind when reading that I wrote it in February.

One of the best things about being financially independent and semi-retired from my W2 job is having the time and freedom to experiment.  Since I’m a very health conscious person, my experiments are usually in the realm of diet, working out, and my favorite as of late, sleep.

A while back I reviewed Matthew Walker’s best selling book “Why We Sleep“, and I’ve listened to virtually every podcast he’s been on.  Scientists are finding out more and more about the benefits of sleep every day, and the more they learn the more sleep is revealing itself as a crucial player in virtually every aspect of health and longevity. 

What does sleep have to do with your finances?  Better sleep makes your body and especially your mind healthier, and a healthier mind allows for better decisions in all aspects of life.  It’s all tied together.

 

Sleep 2.0

Since I read Walker’s book in 2018 I’ve been focused on getting better sleep.  I’ve done most of the big things and many of the smaller things that Walker and other experts suggest. 

From a cooler room temperature, to turning down the lights at night, and widening the time from consuming alcohol to when I want to crash, I’ve changed lots of my behaviors to focus on better sleep. 

And it’s worked.  I’m happy to say I’m sleeping better than ever and get 7 – 9 hours most nights.  I’m pretty convinced my better sleeping habits helped produce the amazing 2019 that I had in my athletic pursuits. 

I actually won some of our local weekend bike races, something I had never accomplished, and broke my personal records on virtually every hill climb in the area. 

I also got down to my lightest weight ever as an adult right before Thanksgiving last year, at 162 pounds.  On a 6’4″ guy, that’s pretty skinny.  I had my body fat tested and came in at 11.5%, my lowest ever. 

In short, I felt better than I ever have, and light on my feet.  I know my body well, and I’m pretty sure my improved sleep had a lot to do with this.

But I also starting doing something else last year, I worked on my napping game. 

 

Nap Time

Up until last year I’d never been a napper.  Whenever I’d try, which was pretty rare, I’d fail miserably.  I either wouldn’t be able to doze off, or I’d fall asleep and nap for an hour or two.  In the afternoon.  Then I’d wake up all groggy, wander around the rest of the day in a malaise, and not be able to get to sleep that night. 

Fail. 

Last year I decided to experiment and try to master the nap.  After all, I only go into my W2 job 2 days a week.  I have three glorious weekdays off every week where I can do whatever I want, whenever I want.  

Are naps good for you?  This is what Walker says about naps. 

I have not been trying to take 90 minute naps to get a full NREM/REM cycle.  But I have focused on the 15 – 30 minute range, with success.  Here are a few things I’ve learned.

My ability to take a nap and keep it short hinges on whether I’ve been getting good regular sleep. 

I found a clear pattern in my napping experiments.  If I take a nap the day after getting a good 7-9 hours of sleep, I almost always wake up before 30 minutes of nap time, no alarm needed.  When I have a nap that extends beyond 30 minutes and that I don’t want to come out of, it’s almost always after a night of poor sleep. 

When I feel like I’m dragging and lacking energy in the early afternoon, it’s a no brainer, I try to take a nap. 

Plain and simple, I’ve been letting my body guide my napping habits.  In the past I’d try to push through low energy, now I usually try to nap.

I’m very often able to nap when I don’t necessarily feel tired.

This has been my biggest discovery.  I started experimenting with just chilling out and laying down sometimes even when I’m not feeling tired.  And lo and behold, I’ve often (not always) been able to doze off for 10 or 20 minutes.  This only seems to work if I’ve been getting good regular nightly sleep.  It also works best when I’m outside on my hammock with the sound of the waterfall from my koi pond as a backdrop.

Then I experimented with coffee naps…

 

The Coffee Nap

What is a coffee nap? 

It’s drinking a cup of coffee and then immediately taking a quick nap.  This does work, I can attest.  And it works because of the delayed effects of caffeine. 

It takes around 20 minutes for caffeine to go through your bloodstream and start kickstarting your brain.  The first couple of times I tried this I have to admit it felt crazy. 

I’d drink an early afternoon coffee, and then lay down.  Sure enough, I was able to doze off.  And I’d wake up 20 – 30 minutes later feeling refreshed and ready to open a can of whoop-ass.

As this article explains, some experiments claim coffee naps are more effective than either coffee or naps alone in maximizing alertness.

Caffeine is a drug, and in a perfect world I don’t want to be doing this.  I’d ideally like to reach a state where I feel energized all day without the stimulus of caffeine. 

But damn I love coffee.  The smell, the taste, the ritual of it.  As disciplined as I am I can’t see giving it up any time soon.  I just need to keep it to a cup or two a day and within reason.

 

Don’t Hate Me

I know what you’re thinking.  This guy is being an ass by bragging about how he has time to practice napping techniques. 

I’m not bragging per se, but I am conveying my experiences so folks out there who are seeking FIRE or semi-FIRE can see just how wonderful it can be.  Yes, I have time to experiment with napping.  Don’t be jealous, keep saving your money and join me. 

Jealousy is ugly, napping and financial independence are amazing.

Your turn – are you a good napper and have you ever taken a coffee nap?