{"id":1483,"date":"2021-09-09T12:31:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-09T12:31:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/?p=1483"},"modified":"2021-09-17T18:48:12","modified_gmt":"2021-09-17T18:48:12","slug":"naps-may-hold-the-key-to-increasing-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sleepdunwoody.com\/blog\/2021\/09\/09\/naps-may-hold-the-key-to-increasing-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Naps May Hold the Key to Increasing Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Traditionally, naps have been a bit of a controversial topic in the realm of sleep. While a 20-30 minute nap in the middle of the day can enhance productivity<\/a>, naps can also hurt nighttime sleep when taken too early in the day or too close to bedtime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent study on sleep deprivation in low-income workers in India, however, found that naps have an interesting effect on productivity when an individual is sleep-deprived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we dive into the study, though, let\u2019s start with an overview of midday napping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What We Know About Naps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Many doctors believe that midday napping is a natural part of the circadian sleep\/wake cycle for humans. In fact, most countries around the world enjoy some type of downtime or afternoon siesta during the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Benjamin Smarr, a sleep research expert and National Institutes of Health (NIH) postdoctoral research fellow at the University of California, Berkeley, states that 20 to 30 minutes of napping during the day actually improves overall function and makes people more productive for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You know how tired you get around 2 to 4 pm. every day? That\u2019s a natural slump time for humans. Dr. Smarr says that taking a nap during that time frame will greatly increase someone\u2019s productivity in the late afternoon\/evening\u2014when research suggests people are actually the most productive. He states that napping gives us better retention, focus, and overall emotional health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In truth, that time frame is the only<\/strong> sweet spot for napping. Attempting to nap too early in the day will likely be ineffective because your body won\u2019t be ready for more sleep, and napping too late in the day can disrupt your ability to fall asleep at night. Most adults should attempt to stay within the 20-30 minute timeframe\u2014a power nap, as it\u2019s commonly called, is all most of us need to boost alertness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those who work a 9-5 job, napping during the day may not be an option, which may result in individuals attempting to sleep longer during the night to make up for feeling tired during the day. But just how important is napping when compared to more sleep at night?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Research on Napping and Productivity<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A new study<\/a> co-authored by MIT researchers examined 452 low-income workers in India. Each participant was equipped with sleep tracking technology that provided information on their sleep quality\u2014particularly important to the researchers was how much sleep the participants were receiving each night. Some of the participants were provided with tips on how to improve their sleep while others were provided with financial incentives to improve sleep. A third group received both sleep tips and financial incentives. This third group also took a midday nap each day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The findings included the following:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n