A power nap is a short sleep which is long enough to give an energy boost, but not so long that you enter deep sleep. The term was coined by American social psychologist James Maas, a professor at Cornell University. Science shows that power naps could be of benefit to employees in the workplace, where efficiency is key.

Sometimes, a power nap lasts just a few seconds, in which case it’s referred to as a microsleep. Dali would do it in a seated position, holding a spoon between his fingers. When he started to fall asleep, his grip on the spoon would loosen and the sound of the spoon hitting the floor would of course wake him up immediately.

So I can just fall asleep at my desk and my boss will be OK about it? Will I become smarter if I have a power nap every day after my lunch break? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

In partnership with upday UK.

First broadcast: 16/3/2022

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