Winston Churchill credited his daily nap as an invaluable tool in raising his effectiveness: 

“You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner…You get two days in one—well, at least one and a half, I’m sure.”

Other famous nappers include Einstein, Thatcher, and Da Vinci.

This is exciting. Today you’ll get my system for power napping.

SUPERHUMAN SCORING

In every edition of All Systems Go, I assess the featured product across four superhuman dimensions: impact, setup, maintenance, and aesthetics.

Unlike your typical product review, I focus on factors that influence personal growth. Get to know the evaluation system.

Impact (9.5/10)

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “The world belongs to the energetic.” 

I started System Sunday 8 months ago while working a full-time consulting job. In that time, my writing has generated 440 million impressions online.

None of this is to brag but to say:

Power napping at lunch (while working from home) has been a crucial ingredient.

It’s all about energy management.

Setup (7.5/10)

Here’s the system:

1. Block out your calendar for 40-60 minutes. Set a recurring daily calendar invite. 

The 40-60 minutes block will give you at least a 10-minute buffer at the beginning and the end of the time block. 

Buffer time is essential to 1) settle into the nap and 2) transition back to your workday.

2. Be strategic about the time of day. 

Napping past 3 pm often hurts evening sleep. (Exception: You’re a night owl and go to bed past midnight.)

Again, lunchtime napping has worked best for me.

3. Before the nap, set a timer for 30 minutes. 

Naps >30 minutes might put you in REM, inducing sleep inertia (grogginess).

Maintenance (7.5/10)

Try to nap daily at the same time—as it helps condition the habit. 

Performing an activity at the same time daily is the best practice for building any habit. And napping is no different.

You might not fall asleep the first few times (as I didn’t). But stick with it! Keep your phone outside of reach.

One more tip: Optimize your nap space with blackout shades. Research shows daylight makes us more alert. It suppresses melatonin, a chemical that makes us sleepy.

Aesthetics (10.0/10)

No products are required for this napping system (except perhaps a phone alarm). Which means no products to review! 

I’m giving it a 10/10 because “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” 

BRINGING IT HOME

Some people think having an expensive car is a strong flex.

But the real flex is being able to take a nap whenever you want.

While daily napping may be aspirational for you and me, it IS a worthwhile pursuit.

Because napping helps us maximize the time we show up as our best selves.

All systems go,

P.S. If you’re enjoying the free newsletter, it’d mean the world to me if you share it with others. System Sunday just launched, and every single referral helps. Thank you!

• Share System Sunday on Twitter , LinkedIn, Facebook, or via email .
• Or, share by copying and pasting the link: https://systemsunday.com/all-systems-go

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Resources

• Newsletter Archive: Read past issues of All Systems Go
• Energy Dashboard: Get an under-the-hood look at my self-tracking metrics for energy management (updated weekly)
• [Quick Win] Phone Charger Challenge: Save 60 hours every year with this simple morning hack