Nodding Off

In recent years scientists have documented how eight hours of sleep is necessary not only for performance at work or school but also for good health. And if one doesn't get enough sleep at nighttime it's possible to make up for the deficiency by napping during the day, with measurable improvement in quality of work.

pilots on trans-Pacific flights were instructed to nap for 40 minutes. They slept for an average of 26 minutes, which led to 34% improved performance and 54% improved alertness.

The "power nap" at work need only be about 20 minutes:

"Twenty minutes keeps you from upsetting your schedules, getting into deeper sleep, and waking up groggy and refreshing you enough to continue safely".

During my career, bosses disapproved of nodding off in the afternoon (or so I was informed). Now more employers are viewing napping at one's desk as the mark of the high-producer, another piece of evidence that your humble observer was born too soon.