Afrikan Goddess (AG) Online

Written By: N. Amma Twum-Baah
Monday, June 1

If you have ever needed a reason to be unashamed of dosing off at your desk, sneaking a nap in the ladies room, or taking an afternoon nap in your car during lunch, that time is now! With the many proclaimed benefits of napping, it is a wonder that many companies have not instituted some sort of napping program into their work day routines. Sure they have gyms and spas yet no place for workers to lay their heads for 30 minutes during the workday.

According to sleep experts, napping is a definite way to boost employee performance throughout the day. Those 15 minute naps that leave you feeling invigorated, and in good humor and spirits half-way through the day, are not called power naps for nothing. Naps have proven to be more effective than caffeinated drinks when it comes to boosting alertness and averting sleepiness and grogginess. 

Enhanced work performance, improved alertness, improved memory and learning, and better health are just a few of the benefits derived from napping.  

According to a recent 2008 Harvard Medical school research study, a short afternoon nap of about 45 minutes can help boost a person’s ability to perform better on memory-based tasks – but only if they have learned the task well beforehand.

The test, which consisted of 33 participants – 11men and 22 women – showed that subjects who took a 45-minute nap between memory tests were more likely to improve their scores the second time than those who remained awake. The test however showed that only those who learned the tasks well beforehand showed any real improvement in their repeat performance – which goes to show that if you don’t know, you don’t know and not even a power nap can save you. Those who did well on the initial test but did not nap did not see the same improvement on their tests the second time around. And those who did not do well during the first test were not helped by the nap.

A NASA study showed that a nap of just 26 minutes can boost performance by as much as 34 percent.

According to Dr. Sara C. Mednick, author of “Take a Nap! Change Your Life” and assistant professor of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, businesses spend $150 billion annually in absenteeism, fatigue-related accidents and loss of productivity. This makes absolute sense given the fact that many workers take time-off or call in sick because, half the time, they feel burned out and in need of rest.

But, why listen to the experts and numerous studies? Why not just try it out for yourself? Experiment is the best teacher and the best prove of whether or not something really works. So, nap this week, and the week afterward, and the next, and judge for yourself whether you think napping is an effective and necessary tool for the attainment of “optimum health, happiness and productivity.”