Every afternoon around three o’clock, I come down with that Grandma used to call “the dropsy” — a sudden-onset drowsiness that blunts my creativity and leaves me feeling like I’m one AA battery short of a full charge.
I could stop for a nap, of course. But, for reasons I don’t fully understand, lying down wakes me up. When I get up, I get sleepy again.
That frustration’s over, now, thanks to some oddly-named nap/meditation software called Pzizz.
Pzizz software does one thing very well: it generates custom soundtracks for naps. Once you tell the software how long you want to nap, Pzizz mixes up a random brew of binaural beats, cool breezes, rushing water, chirping birds, steady breathing, gentle chimes, and short musical passages designed to help you relax.
If you like, you can lace this electronic tranquilizer with a narrator’s voice — your own personal napping tour guide. In addition to talking you down, he intones helpful insights: “Right now, it’s your job to relax. Give yourself permission to be comfortable.”
Because the software randomizes its output, you never hear the same soundtrack twice … so the experience, while relaxing, comforting, and familiar, is also refreshing and new. (If you prefer, you can output .mp3s that you can transfer to an iPod and use on the road.)
I’ve used Pzizz for two weeks now, settling in for a ten-minute “energizer” nap about once every other afternoon. I can’t explain how or why it works … but I can promise you that, after my Pzizz naps, I wake up fresh, alert, and dropsy-free.
Pzizz is available for both PCs and Macs. In addition to the software, you can download a fifteen-minute “test drive” .mp3 and take the system for a spin.
If you have trouble falling asleep … or if you’re interested in “power naps” that recharge you in a remarkably short period of time … you should give Pzizz a try.
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