LIFE SAVING TIPS

Power Naps

Power naps capture the benefits of the first two of five stages in a sleep cycle which helps you “recharge your batteries”. These initial two stages occur within the first 20 minutes of a sleep cycle. It is critical that a power nap is limited to the beginning of a sleep cycle, ending before deep sleep begins. Taking 30 minutes or longer naps can cause you to enter a normal sleep cycle without completing it. This results in sleep inertia which can make you feel even more groggy than before the nap. To get the most benefit from power naps limit them to 20 minutes.

Power Napping at Dog Events

It is always better to have sleep in large blocks at night but taking a power nap at dog trials/shows may help you be more alert when it comes time to drive home.


Often at trials the same people volunteer throughout the day to keep the event running. Next time, if you don’t normally volunteer, offer to do so. If more participants shared the workload, all volunteers would have time to rest or take a power nap during the event. Together, by spreading the volunteer tasks amongst more workers, we can prevent a friend from driving home tired and drowsy.