Napping at Work Gets You Promoted [Edit]

Looking to increase your productivity at work, remember more information, make better decisions and even possibly get that big promotion you have been waiting for?  Try a midday nap during your lunch break!

Researchers agree- “that sleep—even a nap—appears to enhance information processing and learning.” In fact, recent experiments conducted by “NIMH grantee Alan Hobson, M.D., Robert Stickgold, Ph.D., and colleagues at Harvard University show that a midday snooze reverses information overload and that a 20 percent overnight improvement in learning a motor skill is largely traceable to a late stage of sleep that some early risers might be missing. Overall, their studies suggest that the brain uses a night’s sleep to consolidate the memories of habits, actions and skills learned during the day.”

“Here’s how to get a good nap:

* 1 The first consideration is psychological: Recognize that you’re not being lazy; napping will make you more productive and more alert after you wake up.

* 2 Try to nap in the morning or just after lunch; human circadian rhythms make late afternoons a more likely time to fall into deep (slow-wave) sleep, which will leave you groggy.

* 3 Avoid consuming large quantities of caffeine as well as foods that are heavy in fat and sugar, which meddle with a person’s ability to fall asleep.

* 4 Instead, in the hour or two before your nap time, eat foods high in calcium and protein, which promote sleep.

* 5 Find a clean, quiet place where passersby and phones won’t disturb you.

* 6 Try to darken your nap zone, or wear an eyeshade. Darkness stimulates melatonin, the sleep- inducing hormone.

* 7 Remember that body temperature drops when you fall asleep. Raise the room temperature or use a blanket.

* 8 Once you are relaxed and in position to fall asleep, set your alarm for the desired duration (see below).”