Show this to your boss - science says napping makes you happier and more productive

Power naps are fake. You heard me: they are fake. People claim that they can go to sleep for short, set periods of time and wake up feeling great and powerful and energised. They can’t. It is impossible to wake up from a nap feeling anything other than disgusting and groggy and more sleepy. It is impossible to not just go back to sleep straight away.

But apparently, so called “science” disagrees with me, with a new study from the University of Hertfordshire finding that power naps can actually make you happier.

Scientists involved in the study have described the post-power nap feeling of joy as “nappiness”.

One thousand people took part in the research, which took place in association with the Edinburgh International Science Festival. Details of naps taken were correlated with psychological questions used to determine someone’s happiness and well-being. And people who took short naps – naps that last less than 30 minutes – were “more likely to be happy” than people who take long naps or no naps at all.

Professor Richard Wiseman, who co-authored the study, says that power naps can improve your concentration, your productivity and your happiness.

“Previous research has shown that naps of under 30 minutes make you more focused, productive and and creative, and these new findings suggest the tantalising possibility that you can also become happier by taking a short nap,” he said.

“Similarly, longer napping is associated with several health risks and again, this is in line with our results.”

He also suggests that napping in the workplace might “boost performance”, although when I tried to take a nap this morning I was told to “clear my desk” and “vacate the premises immediately”, so I dunno what he’s on about there.