Power Sleep

"'Power Nap' Prevents Burnout; Morning Sleep Perfects a Skill"

Evidence is mounting that sleep-even a nap-appears to enhance information processing and learning. New experiments by NIMH grantee Alan Hobson, M.D., Robert Stickgold, Ph.D., and colleagues at Harvard University show that a midday snooze reverses information overload and that a 20 percent overnight improvement in learning a motor skill is largely traceable to a late stage of sleep that some early risers might be missing. Overall, their studies suggest that the brain uses a night's sleep to consolidate the memories of habits, actions and skills learned during the day.

The bottom line: we should stop feeling guilty about taking that "power nap" at work or catching those extra winks the night before our piano recital.

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/Press/sleep.cfm

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) reports that:

The average adult sleeps under 7 hours a night during a work week.
33% of adults surveyed sleep only 61/2 hours nightly.
40% of adults admit that the quality of their work suffers when they're sleepy.
68% say their ability to concentrate is diminished by sleepiness.
19% report making mistakes and errors due to sleepiness.
Sleepy drivers cause approximately 100,000 car crashes annually.
33% of adults surveyed would nap at work, if allowed.

Great Articles Supporting Power Sleeping

Snooze Power: Midday nap may awaken learning potential
Forty Winks or More to Make a Healthier America: Sleepiness has become an unhealthy way of American life, according to the report of a special Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel.
Preventing Burnout: Learn to Power Nap: Evidence is mounting that sleep-even a nap-appears to enhance information processing and learning.
Power Sleep: Preparing your mind and body. for peak performance
Sleep 'can increase brain power': Scientists say that they have shown how the brain can crack complex mental puzzles while its owner is sleeping.
Learning About The Power of Sleep: How Much Sleep Do you Get?
Dreaming of success? Just keep napping: Babies do it effortlessly. Cats do it endlessly. Even some adults have mastered the art. But for most Americans, the luxury of taking a nap remains only a daydream.
Naps On The Go: For Naps On The Go, Nothing Beats A Pod
Power Nap: Too Much To Do, Too Little Time, Too Little Sleep?

Metro Naps

Sleepless in New York? Try a nap inside a pod.

New York's New Craze: Arshad Chowdhury and Christopher Lindholst recently opened MetroNaps, the first daytime sleeping salon in the U.S. Located on the 24th floor of New York City's Empire State Building, MetroNaps hopes to provide a quiet sanctuary where rundown corporate drones can recharge.

Metro Naps: Nestled on the 24th floor of the Empire State Building, MetroNaps has become a haven for the stressed cubicle dweller. For $14 a pop, the budding enterprise offers 20-minute naps that guarantee to leave the customer feeling rested.