Science | afternoon nap Why You Need a Nap at Work So the boss can get more out of you By Polly Davis Doig Posted Sep 29, 2010 3:31 PM CDT Copied A Chinese man naps during a cool afternoon in Beijing, China, Thursday, Sept. 9, 2010. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan) Remember in kindergarten they used to make us take naps? Turns out your office is a lot like kindergarten, and your boss should be handing you a mat, writes Tony Schwartz at Fast Company, and here's why: Memory: Subjects in a Harvard memory study who napped "sustained their performance all day long. Those who didn't nap performed increasingly poorly as the day wore on," Schwartz writes. Reaction time: Pilots given a 30-minute nap on long flights saw their reaction time improve by 16%; non-nappers' reactions fell off by 34%. You get the idea. So if "the more hours we work continuously, the greater the toll on our performance," Schwartz writes, then why aren't more employers encouraging a little shuteye? "If encouraging employees to take a half-hour nap means they can be two or three times as productive over the subsequent three hours—and far more emotionally resilient—the value is crystal clear. It's a win-win and a great investment." Read These Next Mark Zuckerberg's 'list' has Silicon Valley buzzing. Hall of Famer Dave Parker dies IAEA chief downplays damage to Iran nuclear sites. Tillis, who opposes Trump bill, won't seek reelection. Report an error