The Case for Strategic Rest

 

Taking time out to rest during the work day is frowned upon in work-focused cultures where people are known to scarf down lunch at their desks. Snoozing is equated with laziness or lack of ambition. Yet the need for rest is biological, not moral.

 

A well-timed reset can salvage an afternoon and prevent you from mistaking diminishing returns for heroic effort. But what kind of reset do you need?  “Tired” is a catchall term for very different phenomena—sleep loss, mental fog, or a wired fatigue. Each calls for a different response.

 

The real question is this: What kind of recovery would help my brain work well again?

 

Most people default to a traditional nap. But there are a couple of other approaches that often work better in the moment. We’ll start there.

 

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The Power Nap

 

Best when you’re flagging but not exhausted.

 

At times you may not feel deeply tired but you’re clearly off your game.  Your thinking has dulled, you hesitate, and you reread without absorbing.

 

In these moments, a short, deliberate reset is enough. Ten to fifteen minutes with your eyes closed can stop the slide before it costs you the afternoon. It keeps you sharp.

 

The “Navy SEAL nap,” associated with Jocko Willink, is a similar strategy: a brief, controlled rest taken wherever conditions allow. Set a timer for 10 to 15 minutes, close your eyes, and, if you wish, elevate your legs. If your mind is racing, silently repeat a simple phrase like “no thinking” or focus on the breath to keep thoughts from pulling you back into wakefulness.

 

The specifics matter less than the principle. You rest before things get worse—then you can return to the task sharp enough to meet the demands of the task.

 

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NSDR (Non-Sleep Deep Rest)

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Best when you’re tired but wired.

 

Sometimes rest is needed, but sleep just won’t come. You lie down and remain awake. Your mind keeps moving and your body won’t relax. This is where NSDR offers a different path.

 

Non-Sleep Deep Rest refers to a group of practices—such as guided body scans, yoga nidra, and slow breathing exercises—that shift the nervous system toward a more relaxed state without requiring you to fall asleep. Instead of trying to force sleep, you create the conditions in which the body can downshift and recover in another way.

 

This effective approach for the tired-but-wired has been popularized by Stanford professor Andrew Huberman. It gives the system a chance to disengage from constant activation without the frustration of trying to fall asleep, resulting in more clarity and focus.

 

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The Traditional Nap

 

Best when you’re genuinely sleepy.

 

If you are struggling to keep your eyes open, take a nap. You learned how to do this in kindergarten. What most people never learned is how to do it well.

Keep it to about twenty minutes. Go longer and you are likely to drift into deeper sleep and wake up with sleep inertia.  You’ll end up with a heavy, disoriented feeling that makes it harder to get back to work.

 

Set a timer. Lie down in a quiet, dim place, and close your eyes. The goal is simple: take the edge off the sleepiness so you can think clearly again.

 

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What kind of rest do you need now?

 

The next time you start to flag, ask yourself: What kind of recovery would help my brain work well again? Then choose the reset that fits the moment.

 

These approaches won’t substitute for the fundamentals your brain needs: adequate sleep, movement, daylight, nourishment, and realistic expectations. Think of naps and NSDR as first aid, not the whole healthcare system.

 

Used wisely, they can rescue an afternoon. But more importantly, they reinforce a quieter, more sustainable truth: rest is not a reward you earn after the work is done.

 

It is part of how the work gets done.

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Free Guided Resources

 

• Calm.com.  We tried the Navy Seal Nap.  Complete instructions and reviews.

• Andrew Huberman. 10 Minute NSDR Protocol (YouTube). Excellent for a midday reset or pre-writing recovery. Longer sessions available.

• Andrew Huberman. Huberman Lab Podcast: Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake. Includes discussion of naps, recovery, and NSDR-related tools.

• Waking Up app Yoga Nidra session.  Also search YouTube and podcasts for different voices and longer sessions.

 

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References and Resources

 

Brooks, A., & Lack, L. (2006). A brief afternoon nap following nocturnal sleep restriction.

 

Moszeik, E. N., von Oertzen, T., & Renner, K. H. (2020). Effectiveness of a short yoga nidra meditation on stress and well-being.

 

Cording, J., et al. (2024). Daytime napping and cognitive performance: Recent review findings