Are you looking for an all natural energy booster?
Hardly a day goes by that I don’t get asked about ways to increase energy levels. People are always curious as to what foods they should eat and what supplements they should take to jack up their energy levels.
Everything from Nitric Oxide, Caffeine, Ephedrine, Ginseng, Amino Acids, Horny Goat Weed, Red-Bull, RockStar…
You name it people are looking for it and are willing to try it all. And yet the one thing that often gets ignored, but yet can improve your strength and energy levels better then any supplement or stimulant is sleep!
The benefits of getting adequate sleep are HUGE! Everything from speeding up your muscle recovery, increasing growth hormone levels, improving your athletic performance, improved heart function, cell repair, and the list goes on and on…
But one thing that may be of interest to you – is that sufficient sleep helps increase your motivation for exercise!
One of the biggest excuses people have for not following through with their workout routine consistently is being too tired to exercise. But one thing that you can do (and it costs nothing!) is simply taking a 20 minute power nap in the afternoon.
You will feel more alert and energetic afterwards, and once rested after your mid-afternoon nap, your mood, efficiency, and alertness level will improve greatly.
Scientists have proven that taking a 20-minute nap approximately eight hours after you have awaken will do more for your strength and stamina than sleeping in later in the morning.
Of course when you first come out of your afternoon nap, you will probably feel a bit groggy for about ten minutes, but once this dissipates, you will reap the rewards of being well rested, recharged, and ready to go for the rest of the day.
So if you are looking for a kick ass all natural energy booster with no jittery side effects, just take a 20 minute power nap when you get home from work or school.
It’s easy, it’s proven effective, and it’s FREE!
41 Comments
Kevin
Lee,
You always have something good to say. I love your tips and little secrets. When I was in high school I ALWAYS had a tradition of napping before any athletic event because I always thought that I felt better. Well now I know that I was right and that it really does work lol. Thank you.
Angel
Heyy Lee I Love Your Blogs But For Me This Never Seems To Work I Can Take A Power Nap Lets Say 20/45 Min And When I Wake Up I Feel Like I Got Beat Up Badly I Dont Know Why Either Pre Or Post Work Out.. Sucks To Be Me EH? lol
Adrian
Great post man, I Don’t know what I enjoy
More, your awesome little tips or your funny arse
Photos! Up there with your nacho libre pic
Thanks man!
Justin
Great post! really helpful! tnx for the tips lee..keep it up…
Steve
Great advice Lee, as a truck driver we often use power naps to keep going, and they certainly work when you need it!!!! Didn’t think you would be a fan of rockstar though………..! LOL
Ben
Good post Lee, so this would mean you always train in the evening? Is it better to train later in the day then say a couple hours after breakfast?
Thanks
Ben
Angel,
Don’t sleep for 45 mins…either go for 20 mins or sleep a full hour and a half. You’re disrupting your rem cycle and you’re going to feel a lot worse if you wake up anywhere in the middle of that.
vinayak kaniyarakkal
Good post Lee.
I use to take a nap at least 30 mins every afternoon. Now I’m proud of this habit. Anyways, what is the optimum time of nap? do too long naps have a negative effect? my naps on holiday sometimes go for 2 or3 hours!!
Earl
Hey Lee,
Great post, is it better to work out at the end of the nap or just before so that your muscles can recover and is it better to work out in the morning or at night?
leehayward
It’s normal to feel a little groggy when you first wake up from sleeping, but generally after 10-20 minutes you should feel more energized.
Often times what I’ll do is have a little power nap in the afternoon, then still go and have my pre-workout energy supplements (i.e. Extreme Rush or Caffeine & Ephedrine) before hitting the gym.
This way I get the best of both worlds, the physical rejuvenation from having a nap and the stimulant energy boost from the pre-workout supplements.
leehayward
There is no real “Best Time” to workout. Just do what fits your schedule the best. A lot of folks I know personally hit the gym right after school / work. But if you like to train in the mornings than that’s fine also. All that really matters is that you workout consistently… Regardless if it’s morning, noon, or night.
leehayward
A short nap tends to work better (i.e. 20-30 minutes). It’s like a little re-charge for the system. Sleeping too long puts you into deep sleep mode and can sometimes make you feel even more sluggish.
leehayward
It’s really going to depend on your schedule when you take a nap and when you workout. Obviously if you train earlier in the day then you won’t need a nap before going to the gym. But if you train later in the day than a pre-workout nap can help re-charge your energy levels.
Kevin
Lee,
enjoy your webpage and all the info, something waaaay off topic that has me curious, Where is your accent from? I know you live in NL now ,but your accent doesn’t fit what I’ve come to expect from a newfie(that Irish brogue hybrid)
you sound like your originally from Chicago? always look forward to your blogs!
Karm
I remembered your tip today. Just as I was tired as hell after a long day of work, I was grudging LEG DAY. After i cycled through a bunch of excuses in my head, i remembered reading your post, and i went and passed out in the car for 20 minutes. results- great leg workout! Thanks Lee, youre making the world a better place one workout at a time
Ferdie santos
Hi lee have a good day thanks for the tip its ok its natural,but for my case im in a night job coz im a caregiver sometimes i cant got sleep coz my patient always told me to brought him to the bathroom to wash his hands,then in the middle of the night he want to take a shower,any way for me its very hard to sleep i do it the nap in the middle of the night after that when he woke up he wants to go again in the bathroom on and on same routine coz mu sched to him is 7pm up to 7am by the way he has no legs i always carry him everytime he call me. Lee can you give me a powerful tip to regain my power you have any advice anything how can i cope my present situation ty god blezz more power.Ps what kind of exercise for me to do after work ty.
Michael
Greetings Sir,
Once again another informative article/blog & once again I have ?s, how do you prevent a nap from becoming a much deeper sleep zone, the reason that I ask is because once my eyes have shut and sleep mode has kicked in thats me done for the next few hours. Would you recommend taking supplements like ZMA or Melatonin(hope spellings right) as sleep aids, I have read that they can produce a more restive sleep as well as giving testosterone levels a boost.
Thanks for your time.
Zero
I nap everyday after work for 20 minutes before my workout. Works great. Excellent post Lee!
johnson
your are so inspirational and funny lee ! i will nap on ! i hope i remember to wake up after 20 minutes…..its time for dinner already ? Awww.
Ken
Great tip as sleep is great and has somany credits to building muscle and just feeling good when exercising its unbelieveable.
I try to get as much as 9 hours sleep if I can so regain all energy for next days workout.
Lee your always right on thats what I like about you ..Also all those little tips which makes working out so fun and achieving.. “KEEP UP GREAT WORK BUDDY”!!! Ken
Rajat Desikan
Amazing one Lee…I love your common sense, back to basics approach š
Skraggy
A little nap at work works too š
Alex
I do it everyday after lunch and it works wonders..
Better afternoon at work, better workout, better recovery, better mood, etc..
Solid advice Lee, keep it up !!
Nilesh
This is excellent advice
Brandon Chetty
I have been training every morning before going to the office. Usually up at 4am out the house by 4h30 onto the treadmill at 4h45 and start my weight training at 5h15. I loved training in the mornings because it left me feeling energised througout the day.
My son was born late last year and has been keeping me up at night, I haven’t trained since.
What exercises can i do at home to maintain my weight and strength?
Lee Hayward
Brandon Chetty,
==============
I’d recommend that you get a set of Body Lastic Bands from http://www.BodyLasticBands.com
These are awesome for home gym workouts. I’ve got some videos that show a total body workout program using just body weight exercises and band exercises at:
https://leehayward.com/blog/tarzans-jungle-muscle-workout/
TIM
Lee, I am retired now. When I was working I worked a swing shift (1st, 2nd,3rd shifts). Sleep was irregular to say the least. I found the only way to survive was by power napping. Thus I power nap for about 20 minutes prior to my work outs. When I awake I give myself about 15 to 30 minutes after I am up prior to exercising. I find that this really works!!!
Lee, keep up the good work. Your show, blogs and videos are great!!! The world needs more like you. THANKS!!!
jake
Angel,
try getting the extra sleep at night instead of power naps! it will help out alot more because that is wen you body is used to sleeping.
hope this helps š
Celeste
Hey Lee,
That explains why I felt wide awake after I fell asleep while waiting for my meeting start. The nap was more then 8 hours from when I woke up and maybe last between 10-15 minutes, but I was wide awake and had enough energy to get me through my meeting and then my class š
Philip Elliott
I couldn’t agree more.
At 54 years old, I NEED my sleep to function in my job.
One day a week, I make a habit of going to bed on my night off by 8PM and getting up by 6:30AM.
Naps feel fantastic on my days off
Jorge
Lee: This certainly is something I cannot do. I can imagine the reaction if my boss catches me having a nap in my office after lunch!!! Some people will have this limitation during work days.
leehayward
Jorge,
=================
You could still grab a little “power nap” when you get home from work. I often do this before hitting the gym in the evenings as a little re-charge.
canada supplements
“Hey, thanks for the post.Thanks Again. Want more.”
Lawrence Houle
Absolutely correct. First: it didn’t cross my mind when you introduced the idea. Second: Its priceless for health and strength. Thanks for the pep talk. In Gratitude, Lawrence.
Exter
Prophet Muhammad said that like 1400 years ago.
Naps are indeed awesome
Bernadine
leehayward,
what time do you work out? do you find it hard to sleep at night after taking Extreme Rush or Caffeine & Ephedrine?
John Cranwell
sounds gud to me thanx Lee who wuda thort that ?
Bruce
I can attest to what you say. I’ve done just that every weekday for the last 7 years. I get up at 5:30AM and take a 25 to 30 minute nap at 12:30. You hit it right on the mark….as usual.
paresh
i m 45 5ft8,my trainer put me on sustanon 250 for 3 months..
now i m in 5 th month,, my libido has been
decrered drastically to almost nil level wht u suggest?
Dalton
I know sometimes u talk about fat loss but I’m the exact opposite so can u help me with that
Derek Gray
I have always napped in the afternoon it’s old age but nice to know I’m doing something right.