tag:theconversation.com,2011:/ca/topics/naps-36006/articlesNaps – The Conversation2024-01-24T00:16:27Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2215912024-01-24T00:16:27Z2024-01-24T00:16:27ZSome Australian Open matches run extremely late. How would that impact player sleep and recovery?<p>For many Australians, January is synonymous with late nights spent watching the Australian Open tennis tournament. These night matches are a great spectacle, and many players consider the prime time slot on centre court as a privilege and reward for their hard work.</p>
<p>An early highlight of this year’s tournament was the men’s third seed Daniil Medvedev playing out <a href="https://www.tennis.com/news/articles/daniil-medvedev-emil-ruusuvuori-australian-open-339-am">a five-set thriller</a> against unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori, with the match finishing at nearly 4am. Less than 48 hours later, Medvedev followed this up <a href="https://ausopen.com/articles/news/medvedev-eases-past-auger-aliassime-sets-borges-clash">by winning his next round match</a>. </p>
<p>In Medvedev’s <a href="https://apnews.com/article/medvedev-late-australian-open-tennis-708e79d5b03b1d8f042e4b23f183cc88">post-match interview</a>, he discussed recovery and preparation strategies after the previous late-night finish. This included ice baths, medical treatment and physio work before finally going to bed at around 7am, managing to get five hours of sleep.</p>
<p>Similarly, the first round match for women’s number two seed, Aryna Sabalenka, didn’t start <a href="https://womensagenda.com.au/life/sport/defending-womens-champion-plays-just-before-midnight-at-australian-open-raising-scheduling-questions/">until almost midnight</a>.</p>
<p>As sleep scientists, we know limited and disrupted sleep opportunities can impact the body. So what do these late nights and lack of sleep mean for players’ recovery and performance?</p>
<h2>Why a lack of sleep is bad for your muscles</h2>
<p>The function of sleep is still not well understood, despite us spending close to a third of our life asleep. While we do know that sleeping less than six hours a night is linked to the increased risk of several <a href="https://doi.org/10.2337/dc09-1124">chronic diseases</a>, there is still much to investigate.</p>
<p>Several recent studies we’ve worked on have demonstrated the importance of sleep for optimal muscle function. For example, one night of <a href="https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.14660">sleep deprivation</a> (pulling an “all-nighter”) or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1113/JP278828">repeated nights of short sleep</a> actually impair the muscles’ ability to make new proteins, which is essential for repair and recovery.</p>
<p>Furthermore, other recent research suggests that a period of sleep loss (five nights, with four hours of sleep each night) can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.molmet.2020.101110">reduce mitochondrial function</a> within your muscles. Mitochondria are known as the “powerhouses of the cell” and are responsible for producing the energy needed to exercise – and win a tennis match.</p>
<p>Therefore, the lack of sleep tennis players experience after such late-night finishes may well impact their recovery and subsequent performance.</p>
<h2>Sleep loss directly affects athletic performance</h2>
<p>It is well accepted that sleep loss negatively impacts cognitive function and decision making. While the data is not definitive, there are also several studies that show sleep loss <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2018.01.012">impacts athletic performance</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000003000">A recent study</a> in healthy young women accustomed to resistance exercise found that when they performed their weights session after several nights of restricted sleep, the quality and volume of their performance was reduced. The effort it took to complete the session increased, too.</p>
<p>Losing sleep is also detrimental to anaerobic power and skill execution – both of which are critical for Australian Open hopefuls. One study <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.07.002">found a decline in tennis serving accuracy</a> with only five hours of sleep, while another found a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07420520802551568">decline in maximal power output</a>. </p>
<h2>Exercise can help you sleep – but it depends</h2>
<p>It is a widely held belief <a href="https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/exercising-for-better-sleep">that exercise improves sleep</a>. However, falling asleep shortly after completing an adrenaline-fuelled, high-intensity tennis match is not always easy.</p>
<p>Indeed, a recent study investigated the impact of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsad099">high-intensity exercise on sleep quality</a>. When the high-intensity exercise was performed in the early afternoon, deep sleep was improved. But when participants exercised shortly before bed, their sleep quality diminished.</p>
<p>However, this effect also depended on whether the person was a morning lark or evening owl (scientists call this a chronotype). The sleep quality of evening types was unaffected by exercise in the evening.</p>
<p>When it comes to tennis stars, a late-night finish can also affect their circadian rhythm. By the time Medvedev or Sabalenka would have got to bed, their natural, tightly regulated internal clock would have been readying them to wake up. Such a misalignment between the body’s circadian rhythm and the body’s drive for sleep tend to result in disrupted, insufficient sleep. </p>
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<h2>Can players prepare to handle late-night matches?</h2>
<p>Some players have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/australian-open-late-matches-explainer-509cb3dab84762ae346a1c7fc7b3dfe4">voiced their concerns</a> regarding <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-10-03/australian-open-extended-late-night-finishes-thing-of-past/102927520">late-night matches</a>. But other players suggest it’s just <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/sport/tennis/it-s-the-nature-of-the-beast-why-the-australian-open-can-t-avoid-late-nights-20240115-p5excn.html">part of the game</a>. So what can a player do to prepare for the sleep disruption?</p>
<p>Professional athletes have a number of strategies available. For example, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17134650">napping has myriad benefits</a> for both cognitive function and physical performance.</p>
<p>A popular supplement, caffeine, has consistently been shown to improve physical performance and alertness. While endurance exercise has shown the largest performance benefits from caffeine, small to moderate improvements have been shown in muscle strength, sprinting, jumping and throwing performance.</p>
<p>However, caffeine can be detrimental to subsequent sleep. While athletes preparing for late matches might have an evening caffeine hit, the average Australian should avoid drinking coffee after 3pm.</p>
<p>Increasing sleep duration in the week leading up to late-night matches can also help. Studies have shown that sleep extension <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.035">increases tennis serving</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.1132">basketball free throw</a> accuracy almost 10%. Increasing sleep duration could really be the difference between hitting a winner or an unforced error. </p>
<p>It remains to be seen if athletes like Medvedev and Sabalenka will overcome their disrupted sleep and prevail at this year’s Australian Open. But there’s certainly an advantage to having a good night’s shut eye.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/221591/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicholas Saner receives funding from the Victorian Medical Research Acceleration Fund. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olivia Knowles does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Night matches at the Australian Open are a great spectacle, but sleep disruption is likely to wreak havoc even on professional athletes.Nicholas Saner, Post-doctoral researcher in sleep science, Victoria UniversityOlivia Knowles, High Performance Manager, Hawthorn FC, and Researcher, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2104492023-08-28T12:01:46Z2023-08-28T12:01:46ZShort naps can improve memory, increase productivity, reduce stress and promote a healthier heart<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542889/original/file-20230815-21-42kbnn.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5190%2C3457&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Short naps at the right time of day can benefit alertness and overall health in myriad ways.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-man-asleep-royalty-free-image/1352026356?phrase=Nap&adppopup=true">Tara Moore/Digital Vision via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Napping during the day is an ancient custom that is practiced worldwide. </p>
<p>While some people view napping as a luxurious indulgence, others see it as a way to maintain alertness and well-being. But napping can come with drawbacks as well as benefits. </p>
<p>As an <a href="https://health.tamu.edu/experts/steven-bender.html">orofacial pain specialist</a>, I have extensive education in sleep medicine and how sleep impacts wellness, due mostly to the relationship between sleep and painful conditions such as headaches and facial pain. My training involved all aspects of sleep, especially sleep breathing disorders, insomnia and sleep-related movement disorders. </p>
<p>As such, I’m aware of the complex nature of napping, and why a short nap – that is, a nap during the daytime that lasts from 20 to 30 minutes – may be beneficial in myriad ways. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">While napping is generally a good habit for many people, there are some caveats to consider.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>An abundance of health benefits</h2>
<p>Research shows that there are many benefits to napping. Short naps can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101666">boost mental functioning and memory</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/07-08/naps">improve alertness, attention and reaction time</a>. </p>
<p>Short naps are also linked to <a href="https://www.media.mit.edu/articles/that-moment-when-you-re-nodding-off-is-a-sweet-spot-for-creativity/">increased productivity and creativity</a>. Because napping seems to improve creative thinking, some companies have attempted to harness this by introducing <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/now/nap-job-10-companies-100300632.html">napping rooms into the workplace</a>. </p>
<p>What’s more, it appears the brain uses nap time to process information gathered throughout the day, which appears to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12728">enhance problem-solving abilities</a>. One small study revealed that people who took short naps were less frustrated and impulsive, which <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2015.06.013">resulted in better focus and efficiency</a> when performing work-related tasks. Napping may even lead to an improved ability <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs40675-020-00193-9">to learn new motor skills</a>, such as a golf swing or the playing of a musical instrument. This is because these memories or skills become consolidated in the brain during sleep, whether at night or while napping.</p>
<p>Napping can also reduce stress. One study found that naps of approximately 20 minutes <a href="https://doi.org/10.5114/biolsport.2021.103569">improved the overall mood of participants</a>. However, longer naps lasting more than 30 minutes are not typically associated with improved mood and <a href="https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/asked-grumpy-nap/">increased feelings of well-being</a>. </p>
<p>Short naps may also be associated with a <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.09.002">reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases</a>. If we are awake more than we should be, we tend to have a buildup of the “fight or flight” chemicals in our bodies. Studies show that more consistent sleep <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-018-0874-y">will help lower these chemicals</a>, resulting in a normalization of blood pressure and heart rates. Napping <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-018-0874-y">appears to help this process</a> for some people. </p>
<p>But just as in nighttime sleep, some people may have trouble drifting off for a nap, especially when they have limited time. Progressive muscle relaxation techniques have been shown to be <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13574">beneficial for both nighttime sleep and napping</a>. Other nonspecific relaxation techniques, like listening to relaxing music, appear to also be beneficial for falling asleep. Interestingly, many people overestimate their time awake when trying to sleep and underestimate <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/a0025730">the time they actually spent sleeping</a>. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Make sure the nap is short.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>Napping can have drawbacks</h2>
<p>One condition associated with napping longer than 30 minutes is <a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-inertia">sleep inertia</a> – the grogginess and disorientation that people sometime experience after waking from a longer nap. </p>
<p>Usually, the longer the nap, the more sleep inertia there is to overcome. This can impair cognitive function from several minutes up to half an hour. In many cases, these effects can be <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S188911">minimized by consuming caffeine</a> directly after the nap. </p>
<p>But it is important to note that <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-coffee-or-a-nap-make-up-for-sleep-deprivation-a-psychologist-explains-why-theres-no-substitute-for-shut-eye-206847">caffeine is not a substitute for sleep</a>. Caffeine acts to temporarily block the action of a chemical known as adenosine, a sleep-promoting agent that builds up during waking hours. If you are habitually dependent on caffeine consumption to keep you awake and alert, it may suggest that there is an underlying sleep disorder such as <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/insomnia#">insomnia</a> or <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631#">sleep apnea</a>, in which a person temporarily stops breathing during sleep. </p>
<p>Long or late afternoon naps can also interfere with nighttime sleep, either by leading to difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep during the night. This disruption of the regular <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/sleep-waking-cycle#">sleep-wake cycle</a> can result in <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23970-sleep-deprivation">overall sleep deprivation</a>, which <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.09.002">can have numerous negative health effects</a>. </p>
<p>What’s more, for those age 60 and up, longer naps – beyond 30 minutes – <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101682">may increase the risk for cardiovascular problems</a>. Researchers found that older adults taking naps for more than one hour per day have a higher incidence of increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels, sometimes known as metabolic syndrome. </p>
<p>The reason for this phenomenon is mostly unknown. Older individuals tend to nap more frequently than younger adults partly due to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.09.002">more disturbed sleep during the night</a>. This could be related to more pain or other health factors that will interfere with sleep, sleep altering medications and altered sleep rhythms seen with aging. </p>
<h2>Best practices</h2>
<p>So, to maximize benefits while reducing risks, here are some tips: Keep naps short to avoid sleep inertia and nighttime sleep disruptions. Nap in the early afternoon, as that aligns with a decrease in energy levels after lunch and with <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/is-your-daily-nap-doing-more-harm-than-good#">the body’s natural circadian dip</a>, which is an increase in sleepiness similar to what occurs at dusk. Avoid late afternoon naps, finish naps at least four to six hours before bedtime, and create the right environment by napping in a quiet, comfortable and dimly lit space. </p>
<p>If you’re struggling with daytime sleepiness, it’s best to address the root cause rather than relying solely on napping. Reducing caffeine consumption, maintaining a regular sleep schedule and getting adequate nighttime sleep are essential steps to reduce daytime sleepiness. </p>
<p>Ultimately, napping should complement a healthy sleep routine, not serve as a <a href="https://theconversation.com/can-coffee-or-a-nap-make-up-for-sleep-deprivation-a-psychologist-explains-why-theres-no-substitute-for-shut-eye-206847">substitute for sufficient nighttime rest</a>. A balanced approach to napping can contribute to a more energized, focused and resilient life.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210449/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Steven Bender does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Naps can be rejuvenating and beneficial to attentiveness and overall health, but the length of naps and the time of day are key.Steven Bender, Clinical Associate Professor, Texas A&M UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2068472023-08-17T12:35:47Z2023-08-17T12:35:47ZCan coffee or a nap make up for sleep deprivation? A psychologist explains why there’s no substitute for shut-eye<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542680/original/file-20230814-9571-esc8z7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2121%2C1412&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A cup of coffee might provide you some pep, but it won't fully make up for lost sleep. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/woman-showing-arm-raised-up-holding-coffee-cup-on-royalty-free-image/1147318074">nopponpat/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>There is no denying the importance of sleep. Everyone feels better after a good night of sleep, and lack of sleep can have <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-care-workers-are-frazzled-and-poor-sleep-may-turn-stress-into-poor-mental-health-199944">profoundly negative effects</a> on both the body and the brain. So what can be done to substitute for a lack of sleep? Put another way, how can you get less sleep and still perform at your peak?</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=g35Ez50AAAAJ&hl=en">As a psychologist</a> who studies the ways in which sleep benefits memory, I’m also interested in how sleep deprivation harms memory and cognition. After some initial research on <a href="https://theconversation.com/feeling-sleepy-you-might-be-at-risk-of-falsely-confessing-to-a-crime-you-did-not-commit-54229">sleep deprivation and false confessions</a>, my students at Michigan State University’s <a href="http://psychology.psy.msu.edu/sleeplab/">Sleep and Learning Lab</a> and I wanted to see what interventions could reverse the negative effects of sleep deprivation. </p>
<p>We found a simple answer: There is no substitute for sleep. </p>
<h2>Sleep deprivation impairs cognition</h2>
<p>For many years, scientists have known that sleep deprivation reduces the ability to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41386-019-0432-6">maintain attention</a>. When asked to monitor a computer screen and press a button whenever a red dot appears – a pretty simple task – participants who are sleep deprived are much more likely to have lapses in attention. They don’t notice a bright red dot and fail to respond within a half-second. These lapses in attention are due to a <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emres/longhourstraining/pressure.html">buildup in pressure to sleep</a> and are more common at points in the 24-hour circadian cycle when the body expects to be sleeping.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Sleep deprivation can seriously damage your body.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Research investigating the effect of sleep derivation on more complex types of thinking has shown somewhat mixed results. So my team and I sought to determine how keeping people awake for one night affected different types of thinking. We had participants perform various cognitive tasks in the evening before we randomly assigned them to either go home and sleep or stay awake all night in the laboratory. The participants who were permitted to sleep returned in the morning, and everyone completed the cognitive tasks again. </p>
<p>Along with impairments in attention, we also found that sleep deprivation led to <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/xge0000495">more placekeeping errors</a>. Placekeeping is a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030986">complex ability</a> that involves following a series of steps in order without skipping or repeating any of them. This would be similar to following a recipe to bake a cake from memory. You wouldn’t want to forget to add eggs or accidentally add the salt twice.</p>
<h2>Can caffeine replace sleep?</h2>
<p>Next, we set out to test different ways to potentially make up for a lack of sleep. What would you do if you did not sleep enough last night? Many people would reach for a cup of coffee or an energy drink. One 2022 survey found that <a href="https://foodinsight.org/caffeine-consumer-consumption-habits-and-safety-perceptions/">over 90% of the American adults sampled</a> consume some form of caffeine daily. We wanted to see whether caffeine would help maintain attention and avoid placekeeping errors after sleep deprivation. </p>
<p>Interestingly, we found that caffeine improved the ability to pay attention in sleep-deprived participants so well that their performance was <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001023">similar to people who slept all night</a>. Giving caffeine to people who had a full night of sleep also boosted their performance. So caffeine helped everyone maintain attention, not just those who did not sleep. This result was not surprising, as other studies have had <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nbscr.2020.100051">similar findings</a>. </p>
<p>However, we found that caffeine <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0001023">did not reduce placekeeping errors</a> in either the sleep-deprived group or the group that slept. This means that if you are sleep deprived, caffeine may help you stay awake and play Candy Crush, but it likely will not help you ace your algebra exam.</p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Person with glasses sleeping on a stack of thick files, surrounded by coffee cups and paperwork" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/542687/original/file-20230814-26-ht98cu.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Your body turns up the pressure to sleep the longer it goes without it.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/exhausted-businesswoman-lying-down-on-the-desk-and-royalty-free-image/1199872302">cyano66/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
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<h2>Can naps make up for lost sleep?</h2>
<p>Of course, caffeine is an artificial way to replace sleep. We also reasoned that perhaps the best way to replace sleep would be with sleep. You have likely heard that <a href="https://theconversation.com/guilty-about-that-afternoon-nap-dont-be-its-good-for-you-89023">naps during the day</a> can boost energy and performance, so it is logical to think that a nap during the night should have a similar effect. </p>
<p>We gave some of our participants the opportunity to nap for either 30 or 60 minutes during an overnight deprivation period between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. This time period roughly coincides with the lowest point of alertness in the circadian cycle. Importantly, we found that participants who napped <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/zsab152">did no better</a> on either the simple attention task or the more complex placekeeping task than those who stayed up all night. </p>
<p>Thus, a nap in the middle of the night had no discernible benefits to cognitive performance during the morning after a night of overall sleep deprivation. </p>
<h2>Get your z’s</h2>
<p>While caffeine may help you stay awake and feel more alert, it likely won’t help you with tasks that require complex thought. And while a short nap may make you feel better on nights that you need to stay awake, it probably won’t help your performance. </p>
<p>In short, sufficient sleep is essential to your mind and brain, and there is simply no substitute for sleep.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/206847/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kimberly Fenn receives funding from the Office of Naval Research. </span></em></p>While a cup of joe or a brief nap during an all-nighter might help you feel a little more alert, it won’t offset cognitive impairments from sleep deprivation when you’re performing complex tasks.Kimberly Fenn, Professor of Psychology, Michigan State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2082432023-06-27T11:35:04Z2023-06-27T11:35:04ZNapping may be beneficial for your brain – here’s how<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534277/original/file-20230627-19-gst25p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4992%2C3337&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Daily naps may help preserve brain health.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/senior-man-sleeping-on-sofa-book-285560465">Dragon Images/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Sleep plays an important role in keeping the brain healthy, which is why people are advised to get at least <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2014.12.010">7-9 hours each night</a>. When people have difficulties with sleep, for example, they usually feel more stressed. This is because a lack of sleep activates the body’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S134864">stress response</a>, which affects different brain and body systems. This could lead to stress-related disorders. </p>
<p>Napping also appears to be <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21075238/">beneficial to the brain</a> – with research showing that even brief naps of 5-15 minutes can instantly improve how well you perform mentally. But could frequent napping have long-term benefits for our brains? Our latest study shows that they might – we found that habitual naps <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.05.002">may help preserve brain health</a>.</p>
<p>Our study aimed to uncover the potential causal relationship between daytime napping, cognitive function and brain volume. We focused on reaction time and memory because these cognitive abilities tend to <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2276710">decline as we get older</a>. We also examined the hippocampus (an important brain structure for memory) and total brain volumes because they play a significant role in explaining differences in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22959">memory and overall thinking skills</a>.</p>
<p>To conduct our study, we used a technique called <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2664027">Mendelian randomisation</a>. This uses genetic markers to assess the relationship between exposures and outcomes (such as certain traits or diseases). We analysed data from 378,932 people aged 40-69 who had participated in the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank study</a> (a large-scale biomedical database) We only studied people with white European ancestry, as they accounted for more than 80% of the participants of the Biobank study. </p>
<p>We looked at <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-20585-3">genetic variations</a> previously discovered to be associated with daytime napping, based on the question “Do you have a nap during the day?” with possible responses: “never or rarely”, “sometimes” and “usually”. We used structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data to study brain volumes and the results of computerised games that involved identifying matches of cards to test cognitive abilities.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="An elderly woman naps on a couch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534278/original/file-20230627-29-8znql4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/534278/original/file-20230627-29-8znql4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534278/original/file-20230627-29-8znql4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534278/original/file-20230627-29-8znql4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534278/original/file-20230627-29-8znql4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534278/original/file-20230627-29-8znql4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/534278/original/file-20230627-29-8znql4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The most frequent nappers had the largest brain volume on average.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/elderly-take-nap-senior-asian-woman-1477517666">mangpor2004/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>We discovered that people who had genetic variations associated with napping also had larger total brain volume on average.</p>
<h2>Brain volume</h2>
<p>Our brains naturally shrink gradually as we age. But this process is accelerated in people with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S0047-6374(01)00426-2">neurodegenerative diseases</a> such as Alzheimer’s. Some studies have also shown that people with cognitive impairment may experience a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadm.2015.11.002">decrease in brain volume</a>. </p>
<p>Additionally, previous research has indicated a connection between sleep problems and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2017.04.002">reductions in brain volume</a> in various regions of the brain, which can be linked to cognitive decline. However, it’s important to note that these findings have been inconsistent across different studies, with some studies <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.2638">not finding any associations</a> between sleep disruptions and structural brain changes. But overall this suggests that poor sleep may decrease brain volume – subsequently affecting brain health. </p>
<p>Our findings demonstrate a larger total brain volume with more frequent napping. This suggests that regular napping may act as a safeguard, compensating for inadequate sleep and preserving brain health.</p>
<p>Surprisingly, we did not find evidence to suggest that napping has an impact on reaction time, visual memory or the volume of the hippocampus. We speculate that different people’s napping experiences – such as nap duration and timing – and the tests employed to study cognitive abilities may have influenced our results. Moreover, these discoveries hint at the possibility that frequent daytime napping may affect other brain regions and mental skills, like alertness, which should be explored in future studies.</p>
<p>Our findings help clarify the impact of daytime napping on brain health, which may limit cognitive decline as a person ages. In the future, it would be valuable to investigate these associations in other ancestries and age groups. Moreover, it is important to replicate these findings by using different data sets and research methods. But, as far as we know right now, taking a brief nap in the early afternoon may be restorative and re-energising for those who need it – and may also be beneficial to brain health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208243/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Victoria Garfield receives funding from the Diabetes, Research and Wellness Foundation; the British Heart Foundation; and Diabetes UK. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hassan S Dashti and Valentina Paz do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Our study revealed that people who nap frequently have larger brain volume.Valentina Paz, Assistant Researcher in the MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, UCLHassan S Dashti, Instructor in Anaesthesia Medicine, Harvard UniversityVictoria Garfield, Senior Research Fellow in Genetic Epidemiology, UCLLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2034672023-04-19T15:58:29Z2023-04-19T15:58:29ZWhy employers should wake up to the value of naps at work<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521597/original/file-20230418-1223-1wkrg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C0%2C6689%2C3702&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Nap time.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/asian-businesswoman-black-suit-tired-frustrated-1499157581">worawit_j/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Wellbeing at work is being taken more seriously by many businesses these days. After all, recent research has shown that <a href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/how-to-recruit-generation-z-workers-and-keep-them-davos23/">more than a quarter of Generation Z workers</a> – those born between 1997 and 2012 – seek out workplace benefits that help them cope with stress. This includes nap pods, meditation rooms and massage chairs.</p>
<p>The focus on sleep is important. <a href="https://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/the-value-of-the-sleep-economy.html">Analysis in 2018 by research organisation RAND Corporation</a> suggests up to 3% of a country’s GDP could be lost due to lack of sleep. On an organisational level, some companies are aware of the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Nike’s headquarters in Portland, Oregon, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business-to-business/2017/dec/04/clocking-off-the-companies-introducing-nap-time-to-the-workplace">reportedly</a> has rooms employees can use to nap. Other firms have installed lighting systems <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-07522-8">to regulate the sleep hormone melatonin</a>, so employees find it easier to switch off when they finish work in the evening. </p>
<p>But the concept of “sleeping on the job” by building naps into the working day remains anathema to most companies – even if it boosts mental wellbeing or helps attract top talent. Sleep science has progressed greatly in recent years, with lab experiments confirming what many already suspected: insufficient sleep can cause issues with cognitive function and mental health. </p>
<p>Indeed, <a href="https://academic.oup.com/qje/article-abstract/136/3/1887/6217436">a study</a> I conducted with academics from Masschusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania used actigraphs (devices that measure sleeping patterns in patients with sleep disorders) to monitor the sleep of a group of around 450 adults in Chennai, India. We found they were only sleeping 5.5 hours per night, and the shut-eye they did get was of poor quality. Despite spending eight hours in bed, their sleep was extremely interrupted, on a level comparable to those with disorders such as sleep apnoea or insomnia.</p>
<p>Over three weeks, we offered a series of interventions to different groups of workers to see how that would affect their cognition, productivity, decision making and wellbeing when working in an office-based data entry role with flexible hours. In this environment, we were able to monitor hours worked, measure productivity and labour supply, and survey participants’ psychological and physical wellbeing.</p>
<p>Some members of the trial group were offered nighttime sleep treatments, including items to improve their environment such as sleep masks, fans or mattresses. They also received advice on the benefits of good quality sleep, the recommended hours of sleep, and strategies to improve sleep. Others were offered financial incentives, and were promised payment when extra sleep was tracked on the actigraphs. </p>
<h2>A night’s sleep versus a nap</h2>
<p>These night sleep interventions increased sleeping time by an average of 27 minutes. But the extra shut-eye did not improve workers’ cognition, productivity, decision making or wellbeing. It also led to a slight reduction in labour supply as people came into the office later because they were asleep for longer.</p>
<p>Another group of participants were offered the option to take a 30-minute nap in the afternoon in a comfortable and quiet environment. This group saw notable improvements across the outcomes we were looking at, including psychological wellbeing, cognition, and an average 2.3% bump in productivity over the course of the day.</p>
<p>This could be because these naps were timed to coincide with <a href="https://www.nm.org/healthbeat/healthy-tips/quick-dose-why-do-i-feel-tired-mid-afternoon#:%7E:text=In%20part%2C%20it%20is%20physiological,excessive%20sleepiness%20at%20this%20time.">a normal mid-afternoon dip in energy</a>. Also, the environment we created for the naps supported higher quality sleep than the study participants were used to at home, where they had reported interruptions such as traffic noise or mosquitoes.</p>
<p>As part of the experiment, we also randomly varied the pay rate across periods – participants earned four times more than others at some points. This meant we could compare our results to an increase in wages. Doing this increased productivity by 14%, and our results suggested that taking a midday nap boosted productivity as much as a 50% wage hike.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Young man in bed, rubbing face, trouble sleeping." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521598/original/file-20230418-14-y0y5vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/521598/original/file-20230418-14-y0y5vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521598/original/file-20230418-14-y0y5vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521598/original/file-20230418-14-y0y5vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=426&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521598/original/file-20230418-14-y0y5vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521598/original/file-20230418-14-y0y5vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/521598/original/file-20230418-14-y0y5vg.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=535&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Getting less than 40 winks.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-man-bed-trying-sleep-249170050">FXQuadro/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Limitations of sleep research</h2>
<p>Sleep research tends to focus on nighttime sleep and how it affects people in developed economies. It has also almost exclusively taken place in sleep labs, rather than looking at people’s real experiences at home.</p>
<p>More research in this area would be really beneficial both for workers in low income economies and for employers in the developed world. Indeed, another more <a href="https://www.science.org/stoken/author-tokens/ST-124/full">recent article</a> I worked on encourages others to use field experiments to generate more evidence on sleep. This could include exploring the impacts of different interventions such as adjusting the physical sleep environment, or of social policies like changing work times.</p>
<p>Individual companies could also carry out informal experiments into the value of naps. Identify two groups of employees and allow one set to take a nap and compare results over time to see if it’s worthwhile for the business. Introducing a small number of soundproof sleep spaces or “<a href="https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/nap-pods">nap pods</a>” could also have a positive impact on employees’ productivity or wellbeing at a relatively low cost.</p>
<p>Educating employees on the value of high-quality sleep and encouraging them to carve out time in their daily schedules – particularly now many people are working at home sometimes – could also pay off in productivity improvements.</p>
<p>It may seem counter intuitive to reduce somebody’s working time during the day, particularly when budgets are squeezed and the cost of living is rising. But the long-term benefits to wellbeing could boost employee retention and goodwill towards the companies that do allow employees to sleep on the job.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/203467/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mattie Toma previously received funding as a T32 Trainee through the NIH Research Training Program in Sleep, Circadian, and
Respiratory Neurobiology. </span></em></p>A short nap during the working day can boost productivity as much as a pay rise, according to research.Mattie Toma, Assistant Professor, Warwick Business School, University of WarwickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1793652022-03-25T12:08:20Z2022-03-25T12:08:20ZLonger naps in the day may be an early sign of dementia in older adults<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453933/original/file-20220323-15-4vkaxs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2121%2C1412&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Older adults who nap at least once for more than an hour a day have a 40% higher chance of developing dementia.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/falling-asleep-royalty-free-image/108269786">ozgurdonmaz/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Doctors often recommend <a href="https://health.clevelandclinic.org/power-naps/">“power naps”</a> as a way to compensate for a poor night’s sleep and help keep alert until bedtime. But for older adults, extensive power naps could be an <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12636">early sign of dementia</a>.</p>
<p>Research on how napping affects cognition in adults has had mixed results. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-33209-0">Some</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00718.x">studies</a> on younger adults suggest that napping is beneficial to cognition, <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jalz.2019.04.009">while</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwu036">others</a> on older adults suggest it may be linked to cognitive impairment. However, many studies are based on just a single self-reported nap assessment. This methodology may not be accurate for people with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cger.2013.07.002">cognitive impairment</a> who may not be able to reliably report when or how long they napped.</p>
<p>As an <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=4jWQUBIAAAAJ&hl=en">epidemiologist</a> who studies sleep and neurodegeneration in older adults, I wanted to find out if changes in napping habits foreshadow other signs of cognitive decline. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12636">study</a> my colleagues and I recently published found that while napping does increase with age, excessive napping may foreshadow cognitive decline.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6G3UIrqiFLw?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Sleep may play a significant role in Alzheimer’s development.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The link between daytime napping and dementia</h2>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(14)70172-3">Sleep disturbance and daytime napping</a> are known symptoms of mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia in older adults. They often become more extreme as the disease progresses: Patients are increasingly less likely to fall asleep and more likely to wake up during the night and feel sleepy during the day. </p>
<p>To examine this link between daytime napping and dementia, my colleagues and I studied a group of 1,401 older adults with an average age of 81 participating in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1159/000087446">Rush Memory and Aging Project</a>, a longitudinal study examining cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. The participants wore a watchlike device that tracked their mobility for 14 years. Prolonged periods of inactivity were interpreted as naps.</p>
<p>At the start of the study, approximately 75% of participants did not have any cognitive impairment. Of the remaining participants, 4% had Alzheimer’s and 20% had mild cognitive impairment, a frequent precursor to dementia.</p>
<p>While daily napping increased among all participants over the years, there were differences in napping habits between those who developed Alzheimer’s by the end of the study and those who did not. Participants who did not develop cognitive impairment had nap durations that averaged 11 extra minutes per year. This rate doubled after a mild cognitive impairment diagnosis, with naps increasing to 25 extra minutes per year, and tripled after an Alzheimer’s diagnosis, with nap durations increasing to 68 extra minutes per year.</p>
<p>Ultimately, we found that older adults who napped at least once or for more than an hour a day had a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.12636">40% higher chance</a> of developing Alzheimer’s than those who did not nap daily or napped less than an hour a day. These findings were unchanged even after we controlled for factors like daily activities, illness and medications.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A cat is stretched out on the legs of a person sleeping n a couch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/453972/original/file-20220323-15-kvzb64.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Napping is a normal part of aging, but not for extended periods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/catnap-with-cat-royalty-free-image/876679498">Tom Ang/Photodisc via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Napping and the Alzheimer’s brain</h2>
<p>Our study shows that longer naps are a normal part of aging, but only to a certain extent. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jalz.2019.06.3916">Research</a> from my colleagues at the University of California, San Francisco, offers a potential mechanism for why people with dementia have more frequent and longer naps. By comparing the post-mortem brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease with the brains of people without cognitive impairment, they found that those with Alzheimer’s had fewer neurons that promote wakefulness in three brain regions. These neuronal changes appeared to be linked to <a href="https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/what-happens-brain-alzheimers-disease">tau tangles</a>, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s in which the protein that helps stabilize healthy neurons form clumps that hamper communication between neurons.</p>
<p>While our study does not show that increased daytime napping causes cognitive decline, it does point to extended naps as a potential signal for accelerated aging. Further research might be able to determine whether monitoring daytime napping could help detect cognitive decline.</p>
<p>[<em>Get fascinating science, health and technology news.</em> <a href="https://memberservices.theconversation.com/newsletters/?nl=science&source=inline-science-fascinating">Sign up for The Conversation’s weekly science newsletter</a>.]</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179365/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Yue Leng receives funding from National Institute on Aging. </span></em></p>While longer naps are a normal part of aging, excessively long dozes could be a warning signal for cognitive decline.Yue Leng, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, University of California, San FranciscoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1734662021-12-27T17:11:24Z2021-12-27T17:11:24ZRunning out of ideas? Dozing off could be the secret to unlocking your creativity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439042/original/file-20211227-118077-3alrdw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can't find the answer? You might want to take a nap.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/5Q07sS54D0Q">Kvalifik/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At the fringe between wakefulness and sleep, there is a grey zone where our consciousness fluctuates, our responsiveness decreases and our awareness of the real world starts to dissolve, giving way to spontaneous sensations close to dreaming.</p>
<p>Brief and fleeting, this sleep onset phase remains a mystery that has long intrigued artists, scientists and inventors, who considered the period fertile ground for insights and discoveries.</p>
<p>Among those, German chemist August Kékulé reported how a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/465036a">daydream of a snake biting its own tail</a> revealed to him the circular structure of benzene.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/thomas-edisons-naps-inspire-a-way-to-spark-your-own-creativity/">Thomas Edison</a> and <a href="https://www.openculture.com/2016/01/the-power-of-power-naps-salvador-dali-teaches-you-how-micro-naps-can-give-you-creative-inspiration.html">Salvador Dali</a> were both so convinced of the creative virtues of sleep onset that they developed a method to catch these brief insights. Their secret was simple: they took naps while holding an object in their hand. The said object would fall and make noise as their muscles relaxed at the transition to sleep, waking them up in time to write down the illuminations occurring during this pre-sleep period.</p>
<p>But is catching creative ideas at sleep onset the mark of geniuses or is it accessible to everyone?</p>
<h2>Dozing off to solve problems</h2>
<p>To find out if a muse hides at the gates of sleep, we compared the ability of volunteers to solve a problem after a cat nap compared to volunteers staying awake.</p>
<p>Our hypothesis was that individuals who had dozed off would have a higher chance of having a Eureka! moment. But how to measure this in the lab? We decided to use the Number Reduction Task (NRT), in which participants must solve a series of arithmetic problems as quickly as possible following two simple rules.</p>
<p>Finding the solution is easy but tedious: you just need to proceed step by step. The beauty of the NRT lies in a hidden trick, a shortcut that allows the participant to skip most of the steps and find the solution rapidly and effortlessly.</p>
<p>Participants were not aware of the existence of this trick when starting the task. However, if they spontaneously uncover it, we immediately observed a sudden reduction in their solving time, allowing us to precisely track when these Eureka! moments occurred.</p>
<p>We tested 103 volunteers at the Sleep Disorders Department of the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris. These volunteers were first given 60 trials in advance, to get used to the task. A small proportion of them (16%) found the shortcut during this phase and were not included in further analyses. Then, participants were allowed to have a 20-minute break, in a dark room, on a comfortable chair with their eyes closed.</p>
<p>These conditions were chosen to facilitate sleep onset. However, we did not just want people to fall asleep, but we also wanted them to stay in the grey zone between wake and sleep to test the specific effect of this phase on creativity. This transition phase is unstable and usually rapidly turns into deeper sleep, making it very hard to anticipate when to wake people up before they fall into deeper sleep.</p>
<p>To help participants stay at the gates of sleep, we took inspiration from Edison and Dali. We asked participants to hold a plastic bottle in their hand, so they would wake themselves up by dropping it before falling too deeply asleep. At the end of this break, participants were asked to work on 330 new trials of the same NRT task and we monitored the occurrence of Eureka! moments.</p>
<p>Throughout the experiment, participants wore sensors, placed on their head, chin and around their eyes to monitor their cerebral, ocular and muscular activity. From these signals, we could monitor the sleep state of participants in real time and divide the sample into three groups: those who stayed awake during the whole break, those who dozed off (and entered only the first stage of sleep called N1), and those reached the second stage, N2.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=255&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/436370/original/file-20211208-21-127mx45.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=320&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sleep trace of a participant who dozed off (N1); he wakes up after dropping the bottle. Brain activity is in black, eye movements in blue, and muscle tone in green.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So, were Edison and Dali right in thinking that remaining on the brink of sleep provides direct access to our creative self? We found that 83% of participants who dozed off (N1 group) found the hidden rule, compared to only 31% of volunteers in the group who stayed awake.</p>
<p>This three-fold increase in the proportion of Eureka! is all the more surprising given that the difference between the N1 group and the awake group amounted on average to spending just one minute in the first stage of sleep. The creativity boost disappeared in volunteers who reached N2 – only 14% found the hidden rule. It thus seems that there is a fertile ground for creativity during sleep onset: to reach it, one must fall asleep easily but not too deeply.</p>
<h2>Edison and Dali were right</h2>
<p>Is Edison’s technique efficient to capture this creative sweet spot? We observed a slowing down of brain activity (a marker of sleep onset) just before the drops. Because the sound provoked by the falling bottle woke up participants each time, Edison’s technique could prevent participants from transitioning deeper into N2, which does not seem to benefit creativity.</p>
<p>However, we also observed that participants would sometimes drop the bottle even before reaching N1. These premature drops suggest that this technique is sensitive to early signs of sleepiness and could thus sometimes prevent participants from reaching the creative zone.</p>
<p>In a nutshell, cat napping with an object in hand is efficient to stay in the creative sweet spot, but only if you could reach it in the first place.</p>
<p>If you want to try this method at home, you need to find a light, slippery object. The object must make enough noise when falling to wake you up before you get into a deep slumber.</p>
<p>Once you have found the perfect object, take a short nap with your arm sticking out of the chair or bed. When dropping your object makes you wake up from this creative nap, you might have to wait to hear your muse whisper the solution to the problem you are trying to solve.</p>
<p>Indeed, contrary to the many anecdotes of Eureka! moments occurring right upon awakening, our participants found the secret trick with a delay of about 94 new trials on average. The neural mechanisms by which sleep onset fosters creative insights thus remain mysterious. But one thing is sure – you now have a perfect excuse to doze off during meetings.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/173466/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Delphine Oudiette has received funding from the Agence Nationale de la Recherche.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Célia Lacaux has received funding from the ED3C doctoral school and the Société Française de Recherche et Médecine du Sommeil.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Thomas Andrillon is a neuroscientist at the Paris Brain Insitute (Paris, France) and an adjunct research fellow at the Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies at Monash University (Melbourne, Australia). He has received research fundings from the Human Frontier Science Program (HFSP, France) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC, Australia).</span></em></p>We compared the ability of volunteers to solve a problem after a cat nap compared to those who stayed awake. It’s a technique we borrowed from Thomas Edison and Salvador Dali.Delphine Oudiette, Chercheure en neurosciences cognitives, InsermCélia Lacaux, Chercheuse en neurosciences cognitives, Sorbonne UniversitéThomas Andrillon, Chercheur en neurosciences à l'Institut du Cerveau - Paris Brain Institute, InsermLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1544232021-02-26T14:56:27Z2021-02-26T14:56:27ZNapping in the afternoon can improve memory and alertness – here’s why<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386680/original/file-20210226-17-e5d9ur.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6608%2C4520&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Short and long naps both have benefits.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/caucasian-woman-sleeping-bed-1115266718">Rawpixel.com/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Some people swear by an afternoon nap – whether it’s to catch up on lost sleep or to help them feel more alert for the afternoon ahead. Even Boris Johnson supposedly favours a <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/boris-johnson-is-partial-to-a-power-nap-b8tgps0bs">power nap</a> during his work day (though the prime minister’s staffers <a href="https://www.itv.com/news/2021-01-19/no-10-insists-boris-johnson-does-not-take-afternoon-naps-after-reports-of-half-hour-kips">contest this claim</a>). Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, and Leonardo Da Vinci were all <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/naps-good-now-perfect-time-indulge/">famous nappers</a>. </p>
<iframe id="noa-web-audio-player" style="border: none" src="https://embed-player.newsoveraudio.com/v4?key=x84olp&id=https://theconversation.com/napping-in-the-afternoon-can-improve-memory-and-alertness-heres-why-154423&bgColor=F5F5F5&color=D8352A&playColor=D8352A" width="100%" height="110px"></iframe>
<p>But while many of us may not feel we usually have enough time to squeeze a nap into our day, working from home during the pandemic may now afford us an opportunity to give napping a try. </p>
<p>Napping is a great way to feel more <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079216300946?casa_token=rA8MQnBnyW4AAAAA:m4Z6C5-OgAv1ZEUdulH5gm1-BcVuL08ye1ka6JTGFz58JGi6KOguQxLZf8Whyoxdzqqf8AMn58c">rested and alert</a> – and some research shows it can benefit our cognitive function. However, you may want to consider how long you have to sleep before heading to bed for your midday nap.</p>
<p>If you need to be alert <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/29/6/831/2708239">right after waking up</a> (for example, if you’re catching a few extra minutes of sleep during your lunch break), so-called “power naps” of 10-30 minutes are recommended. Longer naps may cause some initial drowsiness – though they keep sleepiness at bay <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444537027000099?casa_token=-xTczWQ1TG4AAAAA:Prkf9VjhTLwLJs-k43kBgixT9h4hawe8X3VMZ8_X4jthJi_-H60p_QmkZFAjZsl-hyG2o6YVVjI">longer</a>. But drinking coffee <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1997.tb02148.x?casa_token=AGSbfvXmAJ8AAAAA:5ZjqYOuVjKekezYiL8coOApSoGjZNOasADEuZ3SBnS_xKbQPK1wYoOXY2K689Kwd2nN6q7p6dhXCM-Y">directly before a nap</a> may help you wake up <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/24/7/813/2750094?login=true">without feeling drowsy</a> while also <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/29/1/39/2708061">boosting your alertness</a>.</p>
<p>While short naps are great for increasing energy, longer naps are both more restorative and <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nn1078">beneficial for learning</a>. For example, they improve activation of the hippocampus – an area of the brain important for <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/43/9/zsaa058/5813764">learning and memory</a>. A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079209000963?casa_token=y1HMxJcfOjgAAAAA:k2A4HkhOV-wrUY2dhu-NeKNUURsdq8yUb8XvVuqdnhDzj6kBUTgCCT5xip9nmo2hHrLa-BTg5LU">one to two hour afternoon nap</a> is shown to benefit both your motor skills and your ability to recall facts and events.</p>
<p>A <a href="https://gpsych.bmj.com/content/34/1/e100361">recent study</a> from China has even suggested that regular afternoon napping is linked to better cognitive function in older adults. The researchers asked 2,200 over-70s about their napping habits before having them undergo a series of cognitive tests which measured things like memory and language skills. They found that those who usually napped were less likely to have cognitive impairments than those who didn’t. This was true regardless of age or level of education. </p>
<p>But nap length may play a role here – a <a href="https://agsjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jgs.14368">similar study</a> showed that those who usually napped for 30-90 minutes had better overall cognition compared to those who napped for longer or shorter, or who didn’t nap at all.</p>
<h2>Why naps work</h2>
<p>The reasons why short naps are so beneficial for alertness and focus are not well understood. It’s possible that napping helps the brain <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079215001033?casa_token=dRDwFlEYp78AAAAA:n7YIwXXfI7J7pcZBxlFHLlha2O6tlQ3tlyZGGoTXVKV-eJBzV-KS8jr8608mUijQ9-EVV_aTEG0">clean up sleep-inducing waste products</a> that would otherwise inhibit brain activity, and that they <a href="https://www.jneurosci.org/content/30/26/9007">replenish the brain’s energy stores</a>. Short naps may also help improve your attention by letting particularly sleepy areas of the brain recover, thereby preventing instability in the brain’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4363380/">networks</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Man waking up from nap on the couch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386682/original/file-20210226-17-kce1f6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/386682/original/file-20210226-17-kce1f6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386682/original/file-20210226-17-kce1f6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386682/original/file-20210226-17-kce1f6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386682/original/file-20210226-17-kce1f6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386682/original/file-20210226-17-kce1f6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/386682/original/file-20210226-17-kce1f6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Longer naps are more restorative, but you may feel more drowsy after waking up.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/handsome-sick-caucasian-unshaven-man-pajamas-1509656846">Dusan Petkovic/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Longer naps, on the other hand, are more restorative partly because there is time to enter multiple sleep stages, each of which supports <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079209000963?casa_token=y1HMxJcfOjgAAAAA:k2A4HkhOV-wrUY2dhu-NeKNUURsdq8yUb8XvVuqdnhDzj6kBUTgCCT5xip9nmo2hHrLa-BTg5LU">different learning processes</a>. For example, during REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, the brain is almost as active as when awake. This activity in different brain regions – including those important for learning and memory – may be why REM sleep supports both <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4479">long-term memory</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1087079217301533?via%3Dihub">emotional memory</a>. </p>
<p>During REM sleep in particular, the brain <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.4479">strengthens newly developed connections</a> that are important for improvements in motor skills. Longer sleep also reduces unimportant connections, and this balance can improve how quickly and effectively the brain works as a whole.</p>
<p>Non-REM sleep – the sleep stage we spend most of our time in – contains both slow brain waves and sleep spindles. The sleep spindles are periodic burst-like signals between different brain areas, which are believed to reactivate and consolidate memories. Both the <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nn.2253">slow brain waves</a> and the spindles <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/43/9/zsaa058/5813764">increases plasticity</a> – the brain’s ability to learn and adapt to new experiences.</p>
<p>Although napping has many positive short-term effects, they are not recommended for people who <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jsr.12594">suffer from insomnia</a>. Because naps decrease sleepiness, they may make it harder to fall asleep when going to bed in the evening. Naps should also be avoided in situations where optimal performance are needed instantly afterwards, as it may take some time to fully wake up. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-20585-3">Other research</a> has shown that frequent napping was related to high BMI and high blood pressure. Napping was more common in shift workers, retired people, and smokers, and in people with genes related to sleep disorders or obesity. To what degree napping was harmful or beneficial for these groups remains unknown, but it’s clear that napping is more common in groups who have disturbed sleep or need more sleep.</p>
<p>If you’re finding that your attention span is wavering in the afternoon while working from home, perhaps try squeezing a nap into your lunch break. Short naps are great at improving alertness and attention – and if you have time for a longer nap, this can support memory and learning.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/154423/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Napping in the afternoon can benefits both motor skills and your ability to recall facts.John Axelsson, Associate Professor, Psychology, Karolinska InstitutetTina Sundelin, Research Fellow in Psychology, Stockholm UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1376592020-05-20T12:15:32Z2020-05-20T12:15:32ZNapping helps preschoolers unlock their full potential for learning<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334377/original/file-20200512-82375-r3k6mw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=44%2C0%2C4947%2C4004&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Napping reboots the preschool brain and clears the deck for learning.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/children-napping-on-floor-of-preschool-classroom-royalty-free-image/122399167">Ingram Publishing via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>For many parents of young children, the highlight of their day is nap time – not for them, but for their little ones. Especially now, with most preschools closed, getting a child to nap is the golden ticket. Not only can it mean uninterrupted work or self-care time for parents, but their unrecognizable tyrants often wake as happy campers after a nap.</p>
<p>Researchers have validated this experience. One study presented <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2011.00962.x">3-year-olds with an unsolvable puzzle</a>, one with a missing piece, either after they napped or after they missed their nap. They found the nap-deprived children showed more negative emotions – sadness, worry and anger – when faced with the puzzle than rested children did.</p>
<p><a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bvGVrocAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">As a cognitive neuroscientist</a>, <a href="https://www.somneurolab.com/">I study sleep</a>. My research shows that naps help young children regulate their emotions and solidify memories that accumulate so quickly at this age. </p>
<h2>Emotional sensitivity</h2>
<p>My colleagues and I recently demonstrated that nap-deprived preschoolers not only showed more negative emotions, but <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12411">paid closer attention to the emotions around them</a> than rested children did. </p>
<p>We presented young children with pairs of faces on a computer screen, a neutral face and an emotional face – either happy or angry. Those faces were then removed to reveal a star hiding under one of them. The children were asked to identify which side of the screen the star was on by pressing a button.</p>
<figure>
<img src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/static_files/files/1041/XL9y2g-1.gif?1589548576" width="100%">
<figcaption><span class="caption">Where is the star?</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This task measures whether a child is paying special attention to emotion stimuli or not. If a child is biased toward the emotional face, she will be quicker to press the button when the star is behind the emotional face than when it is behind the neutral face. </p>
<p>We found nap-deprived children were biased toward the emotional faces, responding 22 milliseconds faster than if they were rested. After a nap, however, children showed no bias. They responded equally whether the star was behind an emotional or neutral face. So a child who doesn’t nap is quicker to respond to emotional stimuli in his environment.</p>
<h2>A growing preschool agenda</h2>
<p>Although these results come as no surprise to parents, it is important to provide scientific backing of the nap benefit.</p>
<p>Most preschools offer a nap opportunity. However, the length of this period <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/03/15/time-may-be-up-for-naps-in-pre-k-class/b6149643-6e7c-4997-88ff-588c0f740829/">has been shortened in recent years</a> because studies have found a preschool education not only <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.12411">improves school readiness</a> but is also associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S1532480XADS0601_05">long-term academic performance</a> and even <a href="https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.100.2.188">health outcomes</a> such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2009.12.037">reduced obesity</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1248429">improved cardiovascular health</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/334397/original/file-20200512-82361-hg5vsd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Rested preschoolers have a remarkable capacity for learning.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/pre-school-children-royalty-free-image/157720194">FatCamera via Getty images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To capitalize on the advantages of preschool during this fertile learning period, regulatory agencies have added expectations such as <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/blog/tools-assess-sel-in-schools-susanne-a-denham">socio-emotional curriculum</a> and <a href="https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/oral-health/article/oral-health-policies-procedures-standards">even dental hygiene</a> to the preschool day. Sleep is often viewed as optional and is an easy target to cut when making room for more educational opportunities.</p>
<p>However, naps make it possible to reach these early education goals. Beyond the emotional regulation payoff, naps also provide a direct benefit to learning. Research shows when preschool children were read storybooks introducing new words, the children who napped after hearing the stories <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00184">learned more of the new words</a> than the children who did not nap. Following learning opportunities with a nap enhances memory.</p>
<h2>Storing memories</h2>
<p>The reason napping enhances learning has to do with the way brains process new information. </p>
<p>Research in rodents suggests that while we sleep, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/s0896-6273(02)01096-6">memories are replayed</a>. Just as if you wanted to learn all the words to your favorite movie scene, you might replay that scene repeatedly, sleep is a time to replay memories without interference from ongoing learning. Furthermore, the research suggests <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107581">memories are replayed in fast-forward</a> during sleep, allowing them to be replayed repeatedly during the night.</p>
<p>This replay <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2010.01.006">happens in the hippocampus</a>, an area of the brain where memories are processed in the short term. As memories are replayed in the hippocampus, they are moved (or copied) to unique areas of the cortex, making them more stable and easier to retrieve later. In the cortex, the <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1007%2Fs00426-011-0335-6">memories can be sorted and stored with other similar memories</a>. </p>
<p>Imagine the hippocampus as your desk at the end of the day, with stacks of papers and mail from different sources. Sleep moves these “papers” to the cortex, which is much more like a filing cabinet. Not only is there more space, but now when you want to find something, you can do so more quickly because of its organization.</p>
<p>In children, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.03.009">the hippocampus is less mature</a> – think of it as a smaller desk – so fewer memories can be held before there is catastrophic interference. This explains why naps are critical at this young age, and memories must be more frequently moved to the filing drawers. </p>
<h2>Naps in the time of coronavirus</h2>
<p>To parents still learning to implement a nap time, a few pointers:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>Maintain a consistent pre-nap routine. After lunch, give your child time to unwind, then join them in a quiet activity such as reading.</p></li>
<li><p>Maintain a consistent overnight sleep schedule. Keeping bedtime and wake time within a stable 30-minute window day to day will allow for an appropriate and predictable amount of sleep pressure to build up.</p></li>
<li><p>If you are out of the nap routine, you may need to retrain your child to nap consistently. Stay with them as they fall asleep (soothing with back rubbing) initially, and leave the room earlier and earlier over the following days.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Not only is napping key to early education objectives, it is central to the emotional and cognitive development of young children. And it goes without saying, whether in school or at home, turning unrecognizable tyrants into happy campers is good for everyone.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/137659/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Spencer receives funding from the National Institutes of Health (R01 AG040133; R01 HL111695; R21 HD094758) and the National Science Foundation (BCS 1749280).</span></em></p>Research shows napping helps young children learn, as well as enhancing their emotional well-being.Rebecca Spencer, Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences, UMass AmherstLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1125232019-04-07T19:53:44Z2019-04-07T19:53:44ZShould we nap during the day? We asked five experts<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/260939/original/file-20190226-150708-1rzgd98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6699%2C4476&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">It's important to keep your daytime naps to ten to 30 minutes and no longer. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">zohre nemati unsplash</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Often during the day I feel the need to have a bit of a lie-down. Whether it’s been a busy day, I didn’t sleep well the night before, or for no particular reason I know of. But some will warn that you’ll be ruined for sleep that night if you nap during the day. </p>
<p>We asked five experts if we should nap during the day.</p>
<h2>Four out of five experts said yes</h2>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=99&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=99&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=99&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=125&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=125&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259889/original/file-20190220-148520-121cdzg.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=125&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><strong><em>Here are their detailed responses:</em></strong></p>
<p><iframe id="tc-infographic-379" class="tc-infographic" height="400px" src="https://cdn.theconversation.com/infographics/379/74794ec5d666c0d14a4361da14880ec3c69c3fdc/site/index.html" width="100%" style="border: none" frameborder="0"></iframe></p>
<hr>
<p><em>If you have a “<strong>yes or no</strong>” health question you’d like posed to Five Experts, email your suggestion to: alexandra.hansen@theconversation.edu.au</em></p>
<hr>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210303/original/file-20180314-113452-h7un11.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/210303/original/file-20180314-113452-h7un11.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210303/original/file-20180314-113452-h7un11.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210303/original/file-20180314-113452-h7un11.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210303/original/file-20180314-113452-h7un11.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210303/original/file-20180314-113452-h7un11.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/210303/original/file-20180314-113452-h7un11.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption"></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><em>None of the authors have any interests or affiliations to declare.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112523/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
We asked five experts if a daytime kip is OK. Four out of five said yes.Alexandra Hansen, Deputy Editor and Chief of Staff, The Conversation AUNZLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1140062019-04-03T21:46:22Z2019-04-03T21:46:22ZIf you’re not sleeping at work, you should be fired<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267382/original/file-20190403-177184-175f7ix.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Many companies, such as Ben & Jerry’s, Zappos and Nike, allow employees to nap at work.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>In days gone by, when our economy was dominated by agriculture and manufacturing, an employee’s value was gauged by their inputs. If they slacked off by not placing a bumper on a car fast enough they were unproductive, and if they slept on the job they were stealing time from their employers and could be fired. </p>
<p>Today, however, we live in what is largely a <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.soc.29.010202.100037">knowledge economy</a> in which an employee’s value is based on their outputs, not their inputs. This means their performance is often more about ultimate results and less about the hours clocked.</p>
<p>In the knowledge economy we want employees to be alert, not just active; engaged, not just present. We want them to be focused on producing the highest quality outputs possible. </p>
<p>Sleeping on the job can make this happen.</p>
<h2>An epidemic of exhaustion</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www.nsc.org/in-the-newsroom/69-percent-of-employees-many-in-safety-critical-jobs-are-tired-at-work-says-nsc-report">National Safety Council</a> in the United States, almost 70 per cent of employees are tired at work. </p>
<p>This level of fatigue is estimated to cost US$410 billion annually in societal expenses. As I discuss in my latest book <a href="https://www.infoagepub.com/products/Boost"><em>Boost: The science of recharging yourself in an age of unrelenting demands</em></a>, healthy adults need between <a href="http://jcsm.aasm.org/viewabstract.aspx?pid=30048">seven to nine hours</a> of sleep a night, but many of us don’t get enough shut eye. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267383/original/file-20190403-177196-csa96y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/267383/original/file-20190403-177196-csa96y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267383/original/file-20190403-177196-csa96y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267383/original/file-20190403-177196-csa96y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267383/original/file-20190403-177196-csa96y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267383/original/file-20190403-177196-csa96y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/267383/original/file-20190403-177196-csa96y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">If employees are required to be available after hours they should also be allowed to sleep on the job.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Thirty-five per cent of the population gets less than seven hours of sleep per night. Between 1985 and 2012 the percentage of adults in the U.S. who sleep less than six hours a night <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.4684">increased by over 30 per cent</a>. And, compared to 60 years ago, today people get <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1389-9457(08)70013-3">one and a half to two hours</a> less sleep every night. </p>
<p>The ensuing sleepiness results in potential dangers both on and off the job. For example, about <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/features/dsdrowsydriving/index.html">one in 25 drivers report having fallen asleep at the wheel</a> in the last 30 days! </p>
<p>The problem is so bad that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers <a href="https://www.sleepdr.com/the-sleep-blog/cdc-declares-sleep-disorders-a-public-health-epidemic/">inadequate sleep to be a public health epidemic</a>.</p>
<h2>Workplaces should provide nap spaces</h2>
<p>Part of the explanation for this level of fatigue is that the boundary between work and home is blurring. <a href="https://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheet/mobile/">Ninety-five per cent</a> of Americans now own a cellphone and 77 per cent own a smartphone. </p>
<p>As a result of the ubiquity of communication technologies, employees can now be contacted any time of the day or night, on or off the job. Research shows that 84 per cent of employees <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/str0000014">report having to be available after hours</a> at least some of the time. </p>
<p>This essentially puts employees “on call.” And guess what happens when people are on call? <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.smrv.2016.06.001">They don’t sleep as well</a>. </p>
<p>So not only do societal trends reveal an overall reduction in sleep duration, technological trends that blur the boundary between work and home are intensifying our inability to get adequate sleep. This is tragic because work tires us out and sleep is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13594320500513913">one of the most important recovery mechanisms</a> that exist.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OI8Cr7QYnsU?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Arianna Huffington discusses the importance of sleep for entrepreneurs.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>To combat the epidemic of sleepiness, we should allow the blurring of the line between work and home to go both ways. If employees are going to be required to be available after hours, they should also be allowed to sleep on the job. </p>
<p>If employers are going to interfere with employees’ leisure time and their ability to recover from their daily job demands, organizations should then provide opportunities for the needed recovery to occur at work. </p>
<h2>Naps improve performance</h2>
<p>There is a strong business case for this. Naps as short as 10 to 30 minutes can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s004210050392">increase alertness</a>, reduce fatigue and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12220317">improve performance</a>. Not only that, but recent research suggest that napping may be <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324691.php">as effective as drugs</a> at reducing blood pressure, so organizations that implement napping policies may save on health-care costs. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sleep.org/articles/sleeping-work-companies-nap-rooms-snooze-friendly-policies/">Many companies</a>, such as Ben & Jerry’s, Zappos and Nike, allow employees to nap at work. I believe this trend represents the workplace of the future.</p>
<p>The idea that employees should not be allowed to sleep on the job is an outdated taboo from a bygone era. It is a holdover from the days when an employee’s value depended solely on his or her manual inputs. </p>
<p>In the modern economy, however, your value as an employee, manager or executive often rests on your ability to produce desirable outputs. Progressive organizations recognize that fatigued employees can’t perform at their best. In essence, a tired employee is stealing performance from their employer. </p>
<p>In the modern economy, if you are tired and not sleeping on the job, you should be fired.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/114006/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jamie Gruman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Progressive organizations recognize that fatigued employees can’t perform at their best. Naps at work can increase alertness and improve performance.Jamie Gruman, Professor of Organizational Behaviour, University of GuelphLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1113312019-02-15T21:52:31Z2019-02-15T21:52:31ZA brief history of presidential lethargy<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259333/original/file-20190215-56240-1qpg97p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A television set turned on in the West Wing of the White House.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.apimages.com/metadata/Index/Trump/edde2492db3f4bcfb93a1ad4678a4376/12/0">AP Photo/Susan Walsh</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>No one doubts the job of president of the United States is stressful and demanding. The chief executive deserves downtime. </p>
<p>But how much is enough, and when is it too much? </p>
<p>These questions came into focus in 2019 after Axios <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1oITCuVsYdhNXtY7GElLelsrbjRRIPJ1ce-_v-8J1X_A/edit#gid=0">released President Donald Trump’s schedule</a>. The hours blocked off for nebulous “executive time” seem, <a href="https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26285493/trump-executive-time-schedule-tweets/">to many critics</a>, disproportionate to the number of scheduled working hours. </p>
<p>While Trump’s workdays may ultimately prove to be shorter than those of past presidents, he’s not the first to face criticism. For every president praised for his work ethic, there’s one disparaged for sleeping on the job. </p>
<h2>Teddy Roosevelt, locomotive president</h2>
<p>Before Theodore Roosevelt ascended to the presidency in 1901, the question of how hard a president toiled was of little concern to Americans. </p>
<p>Except in times of national crisis, his predecessors neither labored under the same expectations, nor faced the same level of popular scrutiny. Since the country’s founding, Congress had been the main engine for identifying national problems and outlining legislative solutions. Congressmen were generally more accessible to journalists than the president was. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259328/original/file-20190215-56215-1ija022.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259328/original/file-20190215-56215-1ija022.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=732&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259328/original/file-20190215-56215-1ija022.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=732&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259328/original/file-20190215-56215-1ija022.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=732&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259328/original/file-20190215-56215-1ija022.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259328/original/file-20190215-56215-1ija022.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259328/original/file-20190215-56215-1ija022.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=919&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Teddy Roosevelt’s activist approach to governing shifted the public’s expectations for the president.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9b/Theodore_Roosevelt_laughing.jpg">Library of Congress</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But when <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=zZ4nAQAAMAAJ&q=Lewis+l+Gould+the+presidency+of+theodore+roosevelt&dq=Lewis+l+Gould+the+presidency+of+theodore+roosevelt&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiitYGe6rzgAhUn2oMKHb5cC_cQ6AEIKjAA">Roosevelt shifted the balance of power</a> from Congress to the White House, he created the expectation that an activist president, consumed by affairs of state, would work endlessly in the best interests of the people.</p>
<p>Roosevelt, <a href="https://www.americanheritage.com/theodore-roosevelt-president">whom Sen. Joseph Foraker called</a> a “steam engine in trousers,” personified the hard-working chief executive. He filled his days with official functions and unofficial gatherings. He asserted his personality on policy and stamped the presidency firmly on the nation’s consciousness.</p>
<h2>Taft had a tough act to follow</h2>
<p>His successor, William Howard Taft, suffered by comparison. While it’s fair to observe that nearly anyone would have looked like a slacker compared with Roosevelt, it didn’t help that Taft weighed 300 pounds, which his contemporaries equated with laziness. </p>
<figure class="align-right ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259330/original/file-20190215-56243-f5gg7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259330/original/file-20190215-56243-f5gg7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259330/original/file-20190215-56243-f5gg7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259330/original/file-20190215-56243-f5gg7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=751&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259330/original/file-20190215-56243-f5gg7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=944&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259330/original/file-20190215-56243-f5gg7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=944&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259330/original/file-20190215-56243-f5gg7p.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=944&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Taft’s girth only added to the perception that he lacked Roosevelt’s vigor.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://cdn.loc.gov/service/pnp/cph/3c10000/3c19000/3c19100/3c19192v.jpg">Library of Congress</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Taft helped neither his cause nor his image when he snored through meetings, at evening entertainments and, as author Jeffrey Rosen noted, “even while standing at public events.” Watching Taft’s eyelids close, Sen. James Watson <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Ewo5DwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=Jeffrey+Rosen+William+Howard+Taft&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj3i_fu6bzgAhUIw4MKHYX5C7gQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=Jeffrey%20Rosen%20William%20Howard%20Taft&f=false">said to him</a>, “Mr. President, you are the largest audience I ever put entirely to sleep.” </p>
<p>An early biographer <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=1RZ3AAAAMAAJ&q=Paolo+Coletta+Presidency+of+William+Howard+Taft&dq=Paolo+Coletta+Presidency+of+William+Howard+Taft&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi409fL6bzgAhVH5IMKHR_0AqIQ6AEIKjAA">called Taft</a> “slow-moving, easy-going if not lazy” with “a placid nature.” Others have suggested that Taft’s obesity caused sleep apnea and daytime drowsiness, a finding not inconsistent with <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=Q1pnPgAACAAJ&dq=The+William+Howard+Taft+Presidency+Lewis+Gould&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiXneKoh7zgAhXLhOAKHe-CAssQ6AEIKjAA">historian Lewis L. Gould’s conclusion</a> that Taft was capable of work “at an intense pace” and “a high rate of efficiency.” </p>
<p>It seems that Taft could work quickly, but in short bursts.</p>
<h2>Coolidge the snoozer</h2>
<p>Other presidents were more intentional about their daytime sleeping. Calvin Coolidge’s penchant for hourlong naps after lunch earned him amused scorn from contemporaries. But when he missed his nap, he fell asleep at afternoon meetings. He even napped on vacation. Tourists stared in amazement as the president, blissfully unaware, swayed in a hammock on his front porch in Vermont.</p>
<p>This, for many Republicans, wasn’t a problem: The Republican Party of the 1920s was averse to an activist federal government, so the fact that Coolidge wasn’t seen as a hard-charging, incessantly busy president was fine.</p>
<p>Biographer Amity Shlaes <a href="https://books.google.com/books/about/Coolidge.html?id=uvD13ZGXD9MC">wrote that</a> “Coolidge made a virtue of inaction” while simultaneously exhibiting “a ferocious discipline in work.” Political scientist Robert Gilbert <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=FJrWT4jmqfIC&lpg=PR6&ots=OJBlrei3c9&dq=%E2%80%9CThe%20Dysfunctional%20Presidency%20of%20Calvin%20Coolidge%E2%80%9D%20%20robert%20gilbert&pg=PR6#v=onepage&q&f=false">argued that after Coolidge’s son died</a> during his first year as president, Coolidge’s “affinity for sleep became more extreme.” Grief, according to Gilbert, explained his growing penchant for slumbering, which expanded into a pre-lunch nap, a two- to four-hour post-lunch snooze and 11 hours of shut-eye nightly.</p>
<h2>For Reagan, the jury’s out</h2>
<p>Ronald Reagan may have had a tendency to nod off. </p>
<p>“I have left orders to be awakened at any time in case of a national emergency – even if I’m in a cabinet meeting,” <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=S33lCQAAQBAJ&dq=inauthor:%22Jacob+Weisberg%22&source=gbs_navlinks_s">he joked</a>. Word got out that he napped daily, and historian Michael Schaller <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=7UvzZAZcDl4C&printsec=frontcover&dq=reckoning+with+reagan&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi9w9vji7zgAhVBTt8KHcOmAzcQ6AEIKjAA#v=onepage&q=reckoning%20with%20reagan&f=false">wrote in 1994</a> that Reagan’s staff “released a false daily schedule that showed him working long hours,” labeling his afternoon nap “personal staff time.” But some family members <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1990/06/19/the-no-nap-president-reagan/0e54da27-135a-441d-b2c3-fdbcef40d581/?utm_term=.9abb2e59063f">denied that he napped</a> in the White House.</p>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=VcvtAAAAMAAJ&q=reagan+as+president+paul+boyer&dq=reagan+as+president+paul+boyer&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjxmeWHjLzgAhVGdt8KHb21BJ4Q6AEIKjAA">Journalists were divided</a>. Some found him “lazy, passive, stupid or even senile” and “intellectually lazy … without a constant curiosity,” while others claimed he was “a hard worker,” who put in long days and worked over lunch. Perhaps age played a role in Reagan’s naps – if they happened at all. </p>
<h2>Clinton crams in the hours</h2>
<p>One president not prone to napping was Bill Clinton. Frustrated that he could not find time to think, Clinton ordered a formal study of how he spent his days. <a href="https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-oral-histories/marcia-hale-oral-history-assistant-president-and">His ideal</a> was four hours in the afternoon “to talk to people, to read, to do whatever.” Sometimes he got half that much. </p>
<p>Two years later, a second study found that, during Clinton’s 50-hour workweek, “regularly scheduled meetings” took up 29 percent of his time, “public events, etc.” made up 36 percent of his workday, while “thinking time – phone & office work” constituted 35 percent of his day. Unlike presidents whose somnolence drew sneers, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/17/weekinreview/finally-nap-time-for-america.html">Clinton was disparaged</a> for working too much and driving his staff to exhaustion with all-nighters. </p>
<h2>Partisanship at the heart of criticism?</h2>
<p>The work of being president of the United States never ends. There is always more to be done. Personal time may be a myth, as whatever the president reads, watches or does can almost certainly be applied to some aspect of the job. </p>
<p>Trump’s “executive time” could be a rational response to the demands of the job or life circumstances. Trump, for example, only seems to get <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/trump-may-be-playing-with-fire-by-only-getting-4-to-5-hours-sleep-2017-02-08">four or five hours</a> of sleep a night, which seems to suggest that he has more time to tackle his daily duties than the rest of us.</p>
<p>But, like his predecessors, the appearance of taking time away from running the country will garner criticism. Though they can sometimes catch 40 winks, presidents can seldom catch a break.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/111331/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stacy A. Cordery does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Calvin Coolidge, during one stretch of his presidency, was getting 15 hours of shut-eye each day, while William Howard Taft was known for nodding off during public events.Stacy A. Cordery, Professor of History, Iowa State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/890232018-01-25T19:12:20Z2018-01-25T19:12:20ZGuilty about that afternoon nap? Don’t be. It’s good for you.<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202398/original/file-20180118-29897-1cz44vq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Naps have many benefits, including improving memory, reaction times and mood </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/wondermonkey2k/11894858763/in/photolist-j87g6M-qBUi1z-KEpCL-VaeSfZ-XEXS3N-e99REa-64gSfu-VbnXSP-23c35m7-TP9pg7-6EaXLF-23c1NEQ-G2uohT-MAy6GB-5ejXz6-cAvUAE-kg6Tzf-7nBzRz-9Bgxbs-63xd7C-7XD4P1-ePryvT-dRgXr9-nA1uPH-TiPbib-8qTu82-kqESaT-9pioj8-94pZQj-6HaS6V-4fXdvj-a3t7DD-WGd46A-5HmLMR-8icLo9-pzwrYR-8nCfGR-8YoTG7-jqfdA1-eYMinb-5shSPa-oWQX6H-YM4uqZ-73gx6e-8pVQLe-VMAXT5-uqNq9-VeaZQJ-y5VMQ-WSztgk">Sal/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>You may be familiar with that feeling of overwhelming sleepiness during the mid-afternoon. It’s common, occurs whether you’ve eaten lunch or not, and is caused by a natural <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8795795">dip in alertness</a> from about 1 to 3pm. So, if you find yourself fighting off sleep in the middle of the day and you’re somewhere where you can have a nap, then do it.</p>
<p>Taking the time for a brief nap will <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16796222">relieve the sleepiness</a> almost immediately and improve alertness for several hours after waking. And there are many other benefits too.</p>
<h2>Understanding why we nap</h2>
<p>People nap for lots of reasons, some which are:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>to catch up on lost sleep</p></li>
<li><p>in anticipation of sleep loss to avoid feeling sleepy later on</p></li>
<li><p>for enjoyment, boredom or to pass time.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Napping is relatively common. In fact, about 50% of us <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0113666">report taking a nap</a> at least once per week.</p>
<p>Napping rates <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=SIESTAS+AMONG+BRAZILIAN+NATIVE+TERENA+ADULTS++A+STUDY+OF+DAYTIME+NAPPING">are greater</a> in countries like Greece, Brazil and Mexico that have a culture of <em>siesta</em>, which incorporate “quiet time” in the early afternoon for people to go home for a nap. In such countries, up to 72% of people will nap as often as four times per week. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/forget-siestas-green-micro-breaks-could-boost-work-productivity-42356">Forget siestas, 'green micro-breaks' could boost work productivity</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The perks of napping</h2>
<p>Naps are not only beneficial because they make us feel less sleepy and more alert, but because they improve our <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075238">cognitive functioning</a>, reaction times, short-term memory and even our mood.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202399/original/file-20180118-29894-iw8j1g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The benefits of having a nap are similar to those of drinking coffee.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/pmWWWA-SMlA">Photo by Jakub Kapusnak on Unsplash</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Our research (not yet published) has found those who regularly nap report feeling more alert after a brief nap in the afternoon when compared to those who only nap occasionally. </p>
<p>Another <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16540232">research group</a> found that motor learning, which is where brain pathways change in response to learning a new skill, was significantly greater following a brief afternoon nap for regular nappers when compared to non-nappers. </p>
<p>In fact, the overall benefits of naps are similar to those experienced after <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7792499">consuming caffeine</a> (or other stimulant medications) but without the side effects of caffeine dependence and possibly disrupted sleep at night time. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-what-are-coffee-naps-and-can-they-help-you-power-through-the-day-73952">Health Check: what are 'coffee naps' and can they help you power through the day?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>How long should a nap be?</h2>
<p>The amount of time you spend napping really depends on the time you have available, how you want the nap to work for you, and your plans for the coming night. Generally speaking, the longer a nap is, the longer you will feel rejuvenated after waking.</p>
<p>Long naps of one to two hours during the afternoon will mean you are less sleepy (and require less sleep) that night. This could mean it will take longer than usual to fall asleep.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/202400/original/file-20180118-29888-ditrd3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A brief power nap is a great way to improve alertness.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from shutterstock.com</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If you are planning to stay up later than usual, or if taking a little longer to fall asleep at bedtime is not bothersome, time your nap for about 1.5 hours. This is the length of a normal sleep cycle. You will experience deep sleep for about an hour or so followed by light sleep for the last half an hour.</p>
<p>Waking up during light sleep will leave you feeling refreshed and alert. However, waking during deep sleep will not. If you sleep too long and miss the light sleep at the end of a nap, chances are you will wake up feeling sluggish and drowsy. If you do experience feeling drowsy after a nap, don’t worry – this feeling is temporary and will go away after a while. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-boost-your-memory-and-mood-take-a-nap-but-keep-it-short-13108">Want to boost your memory and mood? Take a nap, but keep it short</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Another option is to have a brief “power” nap. Brief naps of 10-15 minutes can significantly improve alertness, cognitive performance and mood <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12220317">almost immediately after waking</a>. The benefits typically last for a few hours.</p>
<p>Power naps are great because you won’t experience any sluggish or drowsy feelings after waking. This is because you do not enter any deep sleep during this brief time. </p>
<p>Research <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10210616">suggests</a>, a brief, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10380949">early-to-mid-afternoon nap</a> provides the greatest rejuvenation when compared to naps at any other time of the day. However, if you’re struggling to stay awake, a brief nap taken at any time can be help keep you alert. </p>
<hr>
<p><strong><em>Further reading: <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-we-used-to-have-two-sleeps-rather-than-one-should-we-again-57806">Did we used to have two sleeps instead of one? Should we again?</a></em></strong></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89023/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nicole Lovato does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The benefits of naps are similar to those experienced after consuming caffeine, but without the side effects of caffeine dependence and possibly disrupted sleep at night time.Nicole Lovato, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Adelaide Institute for Sleep Health, Flinders UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/747452017-09-13T19:35:37Z2017-09-13T19:35:37ZPower naps and meals don’t always help shift workers make it through the night<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/185562/original/file-20170911-3875-10js3et.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Staying alert and safe on the night shift not only affects workers' health, but the health and safety of the people around them.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/570120298?src=5CwUhdFTbK-QDVK2zhJv6w-1-18&size=medium_jpg">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Take a nap. But not for long. Eat a meal. No, just eat a snack. This is some of the varied and often contradictory advice shift workers receive to help them stay alert and safe on the night shift.</p>
<p>But research suggests some of this advice is not only confusing, it’s outdated. It could also lead shift workers to feel more groggy and less alert.</p>
<p>So, what does the evidence say about when to sleep and what to eat to stay safe at work? And what practical things can shift workers do, not only for their own health but for the safety of others?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-much-sleep-do-we-need-29759">Explainer: how much sleep do we need?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>There are over <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/featurearticlesbyCatalogue/5461A9DAE97FF759CA2578C300153388?OpenDocument">1.4 million</a> shift workers in Australia, many in the <a href="http://joboutlook.gov.au/industryspecific.aspx?industry=Q">health and social assistance industries</a> (25% of all shift workers). Around <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/featurearticlesbyCatalogue/5461A9DAE97FF759CA2578C300153388?OpenDocument">15% to 16%</a> of shift workers frequently work evening or night shifts.</p>
<p>Shift workers have a 60% increased chance of falling asleep at work compared to people who <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1740367/pdf/v059p00595.pdf">work during the day</a>. Not only can this lead to <a href="https://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/files/Asleep_on_the_job/Asleep_on_the_Job_SHF_report-WEB_small.pdf">reduced productivity</a>, there’s an increased risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2189223">accidents and injury</a> at work and on the commute home. </p>
<h2>To nap or not to nap?</h2>
<p>The only real cure for sleepiness is sleep. And naps can help improve alertness. So many shift workers nap before and during night shifts, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2015.11.009">before driving home</a> in the morning. But naps are not always as helpful as you might think and a long nap is not always better.</p>
<p>Naps of more than an hour can help improve alertness. And taking a long nap as a preventative measure in the afternoon before a night shift <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(94)90266-6">can help</a>.</p>
<p>But taking a long nap during a shift isn’t always practical and long naps can often lead to sleep inertia – a groggy, sluggish feeling after waking up.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=398&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184485/original/file-20170904-17933-1u4tt9y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=501&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If truck drivers take to the wheel too soon after a nap, they may be at higher risk of having an accident.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/691110337?src=I0lq8jo_m5AYxBMk-LSRqg-1-50&size=medium_jpg">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In the hour after a nap, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/24.3.293">performance is impaired</a>, which can be very dangerous for workers who need to conduct safety-critical tasks. </p>
<p>For example, if <a href="http://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2869.1999.00150.x">sleep inertia means decision making skills are impaired</a>, truck drivers may be at a higher risk of road accidents, and nurses who need to make important decisions and administer medication may be impaired soon after waking.</p>
<p><strong>Are ‘power naps’ the answer?</strong></p>
<p>The severity of sleep inertia can depend on the length and <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/indhealth/54/6/54_2015-0236/_pdf">timing of the nap</a>. So, to boost alertness on the night shift and avoid sleep inertia, workplaces typically recommend “power naps” under 30 minutes. </p>
<p>Yet, there are few studies about these short, night-time naps. Most of the studies on short power naps are conducted in the day, and the benefits of daytime naps might differ to ones taken at night. So, there’s <a href="https://ojs.unisa.edu.au/index.php/JDRSS/article/view/1042/851">no definitive answer</a> when it comes to the ideal timing and length of power naps at night.</p>
<p>Some recent preliminary evidence shows that nighttime naps under 30 mins long <em>do</em> result in sleep inertia in the hour after <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.5550">waking up</a> after all. Interestingly, these naps didn’t actually boost alertness, but they did make people <em>feel</em> <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2016.1167722">less sleepy in the following hours</a>.</p>
<p>In the meantime, the idea that power naps improve alertness and limit sleep inertia doesn’t necessarily ring true if you take them during the night. </p>
<p><strong>What do we recommend?</strong></p>
<p>Here’s what the evidence says:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>although you might <em>feel</em> less sleepy in the hours after a night-time nap, you may still be at risk of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2189223">fatigue-related accidents and errors</a> at work or driving home</p></li>
<li><p>your performance may be impaired for <a href="https://doi.org/10.5665/sleep.5550">up to an hour</a> after having even a short nap on a night shift</p></li>
<li><p>napping may be helpful for some people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/28.4.479">but not others</a>; test what works best for you in a safe environment</p></li>
<li><p>napping in the afternoon may help you <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(94)90266-6">stay more alert on-shift</a>, but make sure you don’t drive straight after waking up</p></li>
<li><p>having good “<a href="http://www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au/public-information/fact-sheets-a-z/187-good-sleep-habits.html">sleep hygiene</a>” between shifts can help you to stay alert overnight. Sleep hygiene is a variety of different habits necessary to have good quality sleep and be fully alert when awake.</p></li>
</ul>
<h2>To eat or not to eat?</h2>
<p>When shift workers are exhausted and sleepy, they often <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284930046_Circadian_Misalignment_and_Metabolic_Consequences">reach for the comfort of food</a>. However, shift workers are eating at a time when the body is primed to be asleep and processes involved in <a href="http://ajpendo.physiology.org/content/ajpendo/262/4/E467.full.pdf">digesting food</a> work differently at night. This means the impact of eating at night may be very different, potentially much worse, than when eating in the day. </p>
<p>So because we aren’t designed to be awake and eating during the night, should we be eating then? The first step in understanding the effect of eating at night on performance is investigating the two extremes: eating versus not eating. </p>
<p>In a pilot <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07420528.2016.1237520">study</a>, ten healthy men stayed in a sleep laboratory for seven days and completed four night shifts. </p>
<p>At <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/07420528.2017.1335318">1.30am</a> during each night shift, five ate a large dinner-type meal (like pizza, chicken salad, or lasagne); and five did not eat during the night shift but ate snacks before and afterwards. All participants then drove for 40 minutes on a driving simulator at 3am.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/184486/original/file-20170904-17931-1obm912.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Mmm, lasagne … It’s an option you might want to avoid on the night shift.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/success?src=K92ZZXxKqrPgZsv02BDjsw-1-1">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>People who ate the large meal drove significantly worse than those who did not eat. They were seven times more likely to crash, and had difficulty sticking to the speed limit and staying in their lane. They also felt sleepier and reported more <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/indhealth/advpub/0/advpub_2017-0047/_article">bloating</a> compared to those who did not eat at all.</p>
<p><strong>So, what do we make of this?</strong></p>
<p>Advising shift workers to not eat during the night could be challenging.</p>
<p>So, we are now investigating eating a snack during the night shift as an alternative option to a meal or not eating. We are half-way through this study, and the good news so far is that driving performance is a lot safer for those who eat a snack during the night compared to the large meal. </p>
<p>In fact, the total number of crashes, and ability to stick to the speed limit and in the centre of the lane was no different between those who snacked and those that did not eat at all. </p>
<p>More research is needed in this area, particularly looking into what type of food is better to snack on at night.</p>
<p><strong>What do we recommend?</strong></p>
<p>In the meantime, the best advice we can give is if you are working a night shift and want to eat during a designated meal break, eat a small snack and avoid large meals.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74745/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Siobhan Banks receives funding from NHMRC, Beyond Blue, NIH, The US Air Force Office of Scientific Research, NASA, SA Department of Health and Aging, SafeWorkSA and DST Group. She also serves on the Sleep Health Foundation Board of Directors.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Charlotte Gupta and Stephanie Centofanti do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Taking a power nap on a night shift can leave you feeling groggy. And eating a large meal can reduce your alertness. So, what’s a tired shift worker to do to make it through the night?Siobhan Banks, Associate Professor, University of South AustraliaCharlotte Gupta, PhD candidate, University of South AustraliaStephanie Centofanti, Research Fellow, Centre for Sleep Research, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/739522017-04-03T03:59:16Z2017-04-03T03:59:16ZHealth Check: what are ‘coffee naps’ and can they help you power through the day?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/161721/original/image-20170321-9124-16u55d3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Just five more minutes ... can a coffee before a nap really help you pay back your sleep debt?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/download/confirm/270883199?src=q2Ux7aNyuxLR8IADxc_txQ-1-47&size=medium_jpg">from www.shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Caffeine and napping have something in common. Both make you feel alert and can <a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-does-caffeine-enhance-performance-18755">enhance your performance</a>, whether that’s driving, working or studying. But some people are convinced that drinking a coffee <em>before</em> a nap gives you an extra zap of energy when you wake up.</p>
<p>How could that be? Is there any evidence to back the power of these so-called coffee naps? Or are we better off getting a good night’s sleep?</p>
<h2>Feeling sleepy?</h2>
<p>If you don’t get enough sleep, you incur what researchers call a <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-can-you-pay-off-your-sleep-debt-11618">sleep debt</a>. You can build up a sleep debt without realising it, on purpose or when you feel you have no other option, like to meet work or other deadlines.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/want-to-boost-your-memory-and-mood-take-a-nap-but-keep-it-short-13108">Taking a nap</a> is a common way of overcoming your sleepiness and repaying your sleep debt. Drinking coffee can also help us <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-buzz-on-caffeine-12669">get through the day</a>. And since the 1990s, researchers have been studying how combining the two might help.</p>
<p><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1997.tb02148.x/full">In a 1997 study</a>, 12 sleep-deprived people drank the equivalent of one large cup of brewed coffee and five minutes later had the chance to nap for 15 minutes. They then did some driving tests in a simulator to check their alertness.</p>
<p>Although drinking a coffee (without a nap) helped their driving performance, combining caffeine with a nap (a coffee nap) improved it even further. People who took a coffee nap were less likely to drift out of their lanes on a two hour monotonous simulated drive, compared to when they just drank a coffee (and had no nap) or when they had a decaffeinated coffee (and without a nap).</p>
<p>A coffee nap even helped performance if people dozed during their nap time rather than falling into a deeper sleep. A coffee nap also reduced sleepiness once people got up, with people remaining alert for a couple of hours.</p>
<p>However, this early, small study raised many questions. For instance, we don’t know how much coffee the people in the study were used to drinking or if they were what researchers call caffeine-naive and so more likely to experience a greater caffeine “hit”.</p>
<h2>How might coffee naps work?</h2>
<p>To understand how a coffee nap might work, we need to look at how the body processes caffeine. When you drink a coffee, the caffeine stays in the stomach for a while before moving to the small intestine. It is from here that caffeine is absorbed and distributed throughout the body. This process, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1038/clpt.1982.132/full">from drinking to absorption</a>, takes 45 minutes.</p>
<p>But caffeine’s alerting effect kicks in sooner, about 30 minutes after drinking. So, drinking a coffee just before a short nap of less than 15 minutes doesn’t affect the nap as your body hasn’t yet experienced the caffeine hit.</p>
<p>Once you wake up from your nap, not only do you experience the hit, your body feels the effects of the caffeine hours later. Although caffeine is broken down in the liver, half of it remains in the blood for <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1997.tb04356.x/full">4-5 hours</a> after drinking a moderate amount (equivalent to two large cups of brewed coffee). It takes more time to eliminate greater amounts of caffeine from the body.</p>
<p>It is this caffeine hit after you wake up and the “long tail” of caffeine in your body that helps you power through the day.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CaI5LWj6ams?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">How caffeine naps help you stay alert.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>But if you mis-time your nap, for instance taking it <em>after</em> the caffeine hit and not before, this will mess up your sleep and your performance. This can happen if you <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031938495020934">wait too long</a> after drinking your coffee before taking your nap.</p>
<h2>How much coffee is safe?</h2>
<p>While there’s evidence that coffee naps work, are they safe?</p>
<p>If we consider caffeine consumption, doses of 300-500mg a day (equivalent to 2-3 large cups of brewed coffee) seem safe, as about 70% of caffeine is converted into <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0278691588900737">paraxanthine, which has no apparent toxic effects</a>.</p>
<p>But drinking too much caffeine (more than 500mg a day) can produce <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/j.1552-4604.1997.tb04356.x/full">symptoms</a> of nervousness, anxiety, irritability, and body effects of restlessness, palpitation, agitation, chills, tremors and increased urine flow. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/">Food Standards Australia New Zealand</a> says 95mg of caffeine a day (about two cans of cola) in children aged 5-12, and 210mg a day (about three cups of instant coffee) in adults increase anxiety levels.</p>
<p>It’s easy to consume more caffeine than we need. Drinks containing caffeine are on our supermarket shelves (such as Red Bull and V energy drinks) and in over-the-counter medicines (such as Panadol Extra). You can keep an eye on your caffeine intake by <a href="https://cspinet.org/eating-healthy/ingredients-of-concern/caffeine-chart">checking the caffeine content</a> of common drinks, foods and medicines.</p>
<p>If you are drinking too much caffeine and want to stop, withdrawal can cause <a href="http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/239/2/416.short">headache, sleepiness and decreased alertness</a>. So, given the addictive properties of caffeine, “caffeine use disorder” has been classified as “a condition for further study” in the <a href="http://dsm.psychiatryonline.org/doi/book/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596">Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders</a> (DSM-5).</p>
<h2>Are coffee naps the best way to pay back sleep debt?</h2>
<p>While coffee naps will power you for a couple of hours, they’re not the best way to pay back your sleep debt.</p>
<p>Getting <a href="https://theconversation.com/mondays-medical-myth-you-need-eight-hours-of-continuous-sleep-each-night-5643">enough sleep</a> on most days is a better solution for alertness, performance and productivity. That’s because sleeping is vital for a range of <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-going-on-in-your-brain-when-you-sleep-39723">brain and body functions</a>.</p>
<p>Getting enough sleep also reduces your risk of a <a href="http://pages.ucsd.edu/%7Emboyle/COGS11/COGS11-website/pdf-files/Sleep%20Deprivation%20effects.pdf">car accident</a>, <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079207000202">weight gain, obesity, diabetes</a> and <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-a-lack-of-sleep-makes-us-depressed-and-what-we-can-do-about-it-66446">depression</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/73952/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Chin Moi Chow does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Can drinking a cup of coffee before taking a short nap really give you the energy you need to see you through the day?Chin Moi Chow, Associate Professor of Sleep and Wellbeing, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/722682017-02-20T03:38:28Z2017-02-20T03:38:28ZHealth Check: are naps good for us?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157083/original/image-20170216-27402-1rtlh8a.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Can a power nap increase productivity? Will it affect your sleep at night?</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/adamjlynch/3275087576/">Adam Lynch/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Catnap, kip, snooze, siesta; whatever you call naps, there is no doubt these once frowned-upon short sleeps are gaining acceptance. The increase in popularity is not surprising, with the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p0215-enough-sleep.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the US</a> finding around a third of American adults do not get the <a href="https://theconversation.com/explainer-how-much-sleep-do-we-need-29759">recommended seven hours sleep each night</a>. </p>
<p>Insufficient sleep not only affects our overall performance, but can affect some physiological functions such as changes to hormones, metabolic factors and immunity. From a business perspective, insufficient sleep can translate into lost profits due to decreased worker productivity. <a href="https://sleep.org/articles/sleeping-work-companies-nap-rooms-snooze-friendly-policies/">This has led companies</a> such as Google, Nike and Ben & Jerry’s to encourage or allow napping at work, providing employees with napping facilities such as napping pods and quiet rooms in which they can nap if desired. </p>
<h2>The pros and cons</h2>
<p>Naps have been shown to be effective in reducing and minimising some of the negative effects of insufficient sleep. For example, compared to when no nap is taken, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00718.x/full">naps have been shown</a> to effectively reduce feelings of sleepiness and improve cognitive performance on tasks such as reaction time and vigilance. <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2009.00740.x/full">Naps may also help to improve</a> short-term memory and overall mood.</p>
<p>Moreover, these improvements can last for a few hours after the nap has ended. Naps may also offer longer lasting <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21075238">improvements in cognitive performance</a> and reduced sleepiness than other commonly used countermeasures of sleepiness such as caffeine. </p>
<p>But as with everything, there are downsides too. Although naps are associated with performance improvements and reduced sleepiness, these benefits may not be immediate. Naps can be associated with a period of sleep inertia, which is the feeling of grogginess most people experience immediately after waking. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=902&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/157252/original/image-20170217-4246-7i5cl7.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1134&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">You might wake from your nap feeling groggy - for up to 60 minutes.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/brownwindsor/3415559543/in/photolist-6cPCRD-rn9oRZ-6iu6z4-bqwzyn-2kLMYX-nBNJLv-2E89PD-BcCQt-4TEdtP-dCLkbA-7SzrTw-6iu6Wc-6iu6w4-dDx8nX-dJsRhA-oLfRq-4XjthD-jEizbj-6iu6bK-9rGbzX-9xmfpU-4ddfWF-d5L2bo-bCJQaJ-nSBaTo-RM5VBm-sUvM9-f2LqNk-4pTZE-86AFVN-6RNEtB-6iu6ZZ-4apfKK-bk7wmR-Kedz8-9whwXX-9GXLsx-f8CLSV-h16crV-82b8Mi-2vkd6Y-8MG92M-6A6QMg-cig3vf-7NejvE-uruja-7NaiLe-7Nek1f-9dzaAE-7NejyW">Brown Windsor/Flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sleep inertia is also characterised by a decrease in performance ranging from slowed reaction time to <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079200900984">decreased coordination</a>. </p>
<p>While the effects of sleep inertia generally subside within 15-60 minutes after waking from a nap, this period of delayed responsiveness and grogginess <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5136610/">may pose serious risks</a> for individuals who are required to function at optimal levels shortly after waking, such as those in transportation, aviation and medicine. </p>
<p>Following a nap, a period of sleep inertia may occur, before sleepiness is reduced and performance improved.</p>
<p>There is some research showing naps may affect your ability to get to sleep at night. Following an afternoon or evening nap, night time sleep duration <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/2750068/Effects">may be shortened and more disrupted</a> according to some studies. But there is some debate about this. A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4442224/">majority of the research</a> suggests naps have minimal impact on night time sleep.</p>
<h2>It’s all about timing</h2>
<p>The degree to which naps help, or hinder, largely depends on the timing and duration of the nap. Longer naps (two hours or longer) are associated with longer lasting performance improvements and reduced sleepiness than short (30 minutes or less) or brief naps (ten minutes or less). Longer naps, however, are also more susceptible to sleep inertia, with a worsening in performance immediately following the nap. Alternatively, the <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780444537027000099">benefits of brief naps occur almost immediately</a> and are without the negative side-effect of sleep inertia. </p>
<p>Longer naps may also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11560181/">have a greater impact on subsequent sleep periods</a> than shorter naps, as they may decrease “sleep pressure”, which can make falling and staying asleep more difficult. </p>
<p>The time of day naps occur can also affect the benefits of napping. Naps taken in the early morning hours, when there is a high circadian drive for sleep, may worsen the effects of sleep inertia and may not offer as much recuperation <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00718.x/full">compared to naps taken in the afternoon</a>.</p>
<h2>One sleep or two?</h2>
<p>More recently it has been suggested that perhaps humans were not meant to have one sleep, but were <a href="https://theconversation.com/did-we-used-to-have-two-sleeps-rather-than-one-should-we-again-57806">meant to sleep bi-modally</a> - two shorter sleeps instead of one long one a day. While there is still some debate about whether this is true or not, it seems the number of sleep episodes may not make much difference to waking performance. </p>
<p>Rather, the overall amount of sleep per day, seven to nine hours, is what is likely to have the biggest impact on performance. It’s possible splitting the sleep in this manner may affect different sleep stages such as non-rapid eye movement and rapid eye movement sleep, which may have long-term implications on <a href="https://theconversation.com/think-positively-about-sleep-by-all-means-but-you-cant-fool-your-body-22695">general health and well-being</a>, however these effects need to be investigated further. </p>
<p>While there are some disadvantages to napping, such as sleep inertia, for the most part, the benefits of improved performance and reduced sleepiness outweigh the negatives. Short naps, less than 30 minutes, may offer the most “bang for your buck” as they can improve performance quickly with minimal side-effects.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/72268/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gemma Paech does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Companies such as Google, Nike and Ben & Jerry’s encourage or allow napping at work, providing employees with napping facilities such as napping pods and quiet rooms where they can nap if desired.Gemma Paech, Postdoctoral research fellow, Biological Rhythms Research Lab, Washington State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.