I came across this blog post a while back. I can’t remember how I stumbled across it, but I do have to admit the strange picture of the ostrich pillow drew me in. The point of the post is pretty simple:
“Turns out that forcing your tired memory neurons to unduly fire during the siesta hours is simply not an effective strategy for surviving the cognitive slump: as sleep experts – and common sense – will tell you, simply hanging in there usually results in downslope concentration and recollection or, worse, bad decision-making and outright sloppy work. Finding a balance between immersion and relaxation that works for you is probably the key to successful brooding and typing about your topic of inquiry. And just like regular exercise and eating healthy are often recommended, sufficient sleep matters!”
What do you think? I like the idea! Do anyone of you or your student spouses take cat naps?
Could regular napping really help you get through the PhD?
-M.C.
the graduate wife 
Thanks for linking to us! I have to admit, the naps don’t really work for me, but coffee breaks do… Oh, and by the way, we also have a post on doing your PhD as a parent: http://irblog.eu/the-toddler-thesis-nexus/
Mathis, thanks for the message and for sharing your other post with us! Great points that I totally agree with! Please feel free to share TGW with others you think might benefit from it. All the best with your grad work and keep the coffee flowing! -M.C.