Do Naps Help or Hurt Productivity?

Remember when you were a kid and your mom made you take a nap and you got really mad and threw a fit, hoping she would change her mind? Now you only wish someone would send you to your room so you could take one. A look at whether naps help or hurt productivity will give you something to think about as you're falling asleep at work.

The length of the nap. The length of the nap has the largest impact on whether or not you'll be more or less productive afterwards. Naps lasting 30 minutes or less—sometimes called power naps—have been shown to increase alertness and compensate for a nighttime lack of sleep. Naps lasting longer than 30 minutes, in addition to taking up more productivity time, can make the napper groggy and tired.

Time of day. Sometimes the gained productivity from a nap sacrifices long-term productivity for short-term gains. A nap too late in the day, for example, will make it more difficult to fall asleep on time at night, which will cause the napper to be more tired and less productive the following day, which will lead to another nap, and so on. The late afternoon nap/late bed-time cycle is a vicious one that should be halted before it reduces long-term productivity.

Benefits of power naps. Specific benefits from power naps that lead to increased productivity include the following:

• Less stress. A short nap can leave you feeling refreshed. Those who are refreshed are less likely to succumb to stress. If you've been irritable and grouchy all day, your nap will also lessen others' stress.
• Increased alertness. An alert worker or parent is a productive worker or parent.
• Improved memory and learning. It's never too old to learn, which means you're never too old to take a nap.
• Increased cognitive functioning. You put your kids in time out when they're having trouble focusing. Similarly, a nap gives your brain a time out.

When and where to nap. The perfect nap time varies by individual and is subject to one's schedule. For most, morning naps and just after lunch will be most efficient. A short nap can be had just about anywhere. For best results, find a clean, quiet place, preferably dark.

Nap restrictions. There are certain individuals who should avoid naps. Insomniacs will only make it more difficult to sleep at night by napping. A better option is to reduce and manage stress. Those suffering from depression will only make things worse by napping.