Sleeping on the Job

Sleeping on the job
March 02, 2005

Half the world does it, so why can't we take a mid-afternoon nap when we feel like it?

You know the feeling. It's mid-afternoon; you partied hard last night, your screen is moving in and out of focus and you're so sleepy you risk waking up in a pool of drool with QWERTYUIOP imprinted on your forehead.

You'd kill for a few minutes' sleep, but instead you reach for your third can of Red Bull or start sticking paperclips in your thighs just to stay awake.

But what's so wrong about succumbing to that universal urge to grab a quick sleep in the middle of the day?

Nothing at all, according to growing evidence that shows a quick nap is just what you need to shake off that drowsy afternoon deadspot.

No longer just the preserve of old-aged pensioners and grumpy toddlers, scientists are finding the old-fashioned nap can be a boon to productivity.

Professor Leon Lack, of Flinders University, is an expert on the fine art of the workplace siesta.

"There is a lot of evidence that a brief sleep can be beneficial," Lack says. "There are quite a few people who regularly have a brief nap and report that they do feel rejuvenated and that the sleepiness cloud that was hanging over them has been lifted."

Click on above for rest of the article, seems the SIA have been napping constantly!