The workplace nap still carries an unfair reputation for laziness, despite a genuinely rigorous NASA study establishing decades ago that a well timed short nap measurably improves performance rather than undermining it.
The Study That Started It All
A 1995 NASA study led by researcher Mark Rosekind tested strategic napping among pilots during long-haul flights, finding that a nap averaging 25.8 minutes, with participants falling asleep in just 5.6 minutes on average, produced measurably improved physiological alertness and performance compared with a no-rest control condition. Later reporting on this same body of research described a 54% improvement in alertness and a 34% improvement in task performance among napping pilots, findings substantial enough that NASA extended the practice from astronauts to its ground based employees as well.
Why Roughly 26 Minutes Works So Well
The specific duration matters considerably: a nap in this range allows entry into light non-REM sleep stages without descending into deep slow wave sleep, the stage most associated with the groggy, disoriented feeling known as sleep inertia upon waking. Naps extending into the 30 to 60 minute range instead risk waking someone mid-deep-sleep, producing considerably more grogginess than either a shorter power nap or a full 90 minute cycle that allows natural waking near a cycle's end.
Real Companies Have Taken Notice
Major employers including Google, Nike, Cisco and Ben & Jerry's have installed dedicated nap pods or quiet rooms, with NASA's ground-based nap culture even extending to influence broader technology sector adoption of workplace rest spaces. Research published in the Annals of Emergency Medicine similarly found that nurses and physicians napping for an average of 25 minutes during shifts showed fewer performance lapses, more energy and reduced fatigue and sleepiness, extending the benefit beyond aviation into high stakes healthcare settings as well.
Making a Power Nap Genuinely Effective
- Time your nap for roughly halfway between your wake time and your typical bedtime, generally the early to mid-afternoon window when natural circadian alertness dips
- Set an alarm for 20 to 26 minutes to avoid drifting into deep sleep and experiencing sleep inertia upon waking
- Find a genuinely quiet, dim space where available, since environmental conditions meaningfully affect how quickly you fall asleep and how restorative the nap feels
- Consider a coffee nap variation, drinking caffeine immediately before a short nap, since caffeine's alerting effect typically kicks in right as a 20-minute nap ends
The takeaway: A well timed power nap of roughly 20 to 26 minutes carries genuine, rigorously documented performance benefits dating back to landmark NASA research, making the workplace nap a legitimate productivity tool rather than a sign of laziness.