Power naps = more productive workers, says professor

Now here’s some wellness advice we can really get behind: One researcher says employers should consider offering nap time.
Short power naps make people perform better, claims Dr. Alon Avidan, associate professor of neurology at the University of California in Los Angeles. His research was outlined recently in a report at HealthDay News.
Avidan asserts that an average person’s circadian rhythm, which helps to set a person’s cycle of waking and sleeping, tends to dips around 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. That results in drowsiness, reduced alertness and a loss of productivity.
This is when most people head to the coffee machine. That can help people stave off the effects of the circadian dip, but people shouldn’t be fighting it in the first place, says Avidan.
Instead, he believes employers should set aside time and space for workers to grab some Z’s — about 15 to 20 minutes worth.
Info: For HealthDay’s full report Dr. Avidan’s research, check out “Sometimes Sleeping on the Job May be a Good Thing,” by Dennis Thompson.