Sneaking in a nap at work is no longer just for security guards in heist movies . Dr. Lisa Shives of Northshore Sleep Medicine in Evanston , Ill. has help more than 4,000 affected role with their sleep problems . Here ’s why she think your hirer should thank you for snoozing at your desk .

1. Fight the Stigma

Although nap are link up with loafing , a scant and dedicated period of rest may in reality meliorate a worker ’s productiveness over the prospicient haul . “ The notion of the power catnap is a good one , ” Dr. Shives says . “ People are coming to think of it as an energy - boosting activity rather than one of laziness . ” Go ahead and put those pajamas on your expense accounting .

2. Keep It Short

“ There ’s some undecomposed research showing that people officiate well after shortsighted naps , ” Shives explains . “ A 10 - minute cat sleep , really , is unspoiled . When mass catch a wink only 10 minutes , they hit better on cognitive tests . As you lengthen the nap meter , those scores go down . When you get beyond 30 minute , it ’s worse than if you had n’t sleep at all ! ”

3. Time Your Z’s

bed when to nap is crucial . All people have a “ circadian dip , ” an hour or two during the day when their energy bottom out . “ If you get in speck with your body , you should set out to get a sense of when you ’re hitting that modest , ” Shives explains . She indicate tracking your Department of Energy levels for a few day and make the nadir forty winks time .

4. Gear Up!

Take your catnap as seriously as you would a work assignment . “ If you ’re grabbing a nap at the government agency , bring in one of those cervix pillows with you , ” Shives says . “ And bring the little eye masquerade party too . Light is the number one most herculean stimulator of your body . It tells you when to log Z’s and when to wake up . ”

5. Hug Your Mug

While Shives is a huge fan of sleep , she ’s also an advocate of caffeine . “ I see a lot of patients who ask me for a prescription medicine to rouse them up . I say , ‘ How much coffee tree do you drink ? ’ and they say , ‘ I cut back all that stuff out . ’ I always express mirth at that . You ’re asking me for a pharmaceutical and you ’re not even drinking coffee ? ”

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