Why You Need A Good Nap

Quote on Naps and Mental Performance from Top Performers

When your work requires you to be at your very best mentally, naps are an essential tool for managing performance. Whether you’re working in a creative role that requires an endless supply of fresh ideas, a decision-maker that is responsible for strategic direction, or someone engagement in a competitive pursuit, mental performance is critical. Strategic napping delivers a boost in mental performance that can keep you working when fatigue hits. We hope you find inspiration to add napping to your performance toolkit in these quotes from business people, writers, and actors.

If I’m stuck in the midst of a story, I take a nap. It often works, and if it doesn’t, I still feel better. ― Max Apple, American Writer

There is more refreshment and stimulation in a nap, even of the briefest, than in all the alcohol ever distilled. ― Ovid, Roman Poet

Nap First. Think later. It’s the natural order. – Samuel Beckett, Irish Novelist, Playwright, and Director

When you can’t figure out what to do, it’s time for a nap. ― Mason Cooley, American Writer

I don’t use many apps. I use naps. ― Aaron Levie, American Entrepreneur, Founder of Box

Take naps. Often new ideas come together when you are half asleep, but you have to train yourself to remember them. ― Jane Smiley, American Novelist

The more nervous you get, the more worried you get about something… Maybe you just need to take a nap. ― Jeff Bridges, American Actor

Never let stress shape your strategy. Most women think better after a brisk walk, a light meal, a massage and a nap. ― Barbara Taylor Bradford, British-American Novelist

The dream world of sleep and the dream world of music are not far apart. I often catch glimpses of one as I pass through a door to the other, like encountering a neighbor in the hallway going into the apartment next to one’s own. In the recording studio, I would often lie down to nap and wake up with harmony parts fully formed in my mind, ready to be recorded. I think of music as dreaming in sound. ― Linda Ronstadt, American Singer

I do my best stuff midmorning and super late at night, from 1 to 5 in the morning. Some people don’t need sleep. I actually do need sleep. I just sleep all the time. I’ll catch naps in the afternoon, or I’ll take a 20-minute snooze in the office – just all the time. Our business is 24 hours. Our guys in Europe come online at midnight. ― Matt Mullenweg, American Entrepreneur, Developer of WordPress

Never make a major decision until after you’ve taken a nap. ― Sarah Ban Breathnach, American Author and Philanthropist

I have a hard time getting past the day without the nap, so the nap is a must. ― Mohnish Pabrai, Indian-American Businessman, Investor, and Philanthropist

But the important thing is to lie down and fall asleep. That little nap means you wake up fresh again and can continue. ― James Levine, American Musician

I like to keep myself physically and mentally fit before any important match. I usually take a short nap just before the game and do not practice immediately before the tournament. ― Viswanathan Anand, Indian Chess Grandmaster

Always nap when you can. It is cheap medicine. – Lord Byron, British Pet and Politician

Some people, when desperate, retreat to pills or hard liquor. I nap. ― Brock Clarke, American Author

Just as important as getting enough sleep is thinking about sleep in the right way. Stop thinking of sleep and naps as “downtime” or as a “waste of time.” Think of them as opportunities for memory consolidation and enhancing the brain circuits that help skill learning. Nor should you feel guilty about sleep. It’s just as crucial a part of successful brain work as the actual task itself. ― Richard Restak, American Neurologist, Neuropsychiatrist, and Author

When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap. ― Tom Hodgkinson, British Writer