Naps increase creativity, memory and alertness, says Sara Mednick, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life.
A six-year study of 23,500 healthy adults by Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens Medical School showed that taking naps at least three days per week reduced coronary mortality by 37 percent.
Some workplaces have designated sleep areas. If people need a 15 or 20 minute nap in order to finish the workday with a clear mind, they can take one. Mednick recommends 20 minutes to increase alertness and motor performance but 30 minutes will put a person into deeper sleep, which may leave them feeling groggy.
You don’t need a designated sleep area. Have a nap at a desk, a quiet spot in the gym, or in your car. Get comfortable and snooze but not too long. You might consider setting a watch alarm.
