Subscribe now

EXECUTIVES who take a power nap in the office are on to something. Getting a little shut-eye during the working day does help us perform better, suggesting that everyone should be allowed to recharge their batteries with a quick siesta.

It is well known that a good night’s sleep helps us consolidate what we learned the previous day. But the benefits of a quick daytime kip were less clear. So Sara Mednick of Harvard University and her team asked 30 volunteers to do an exhausting task, involving identifying the orientation of a bar flashed in the corner of a screen. A third of the group got…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop