If you stay up at night and get up early to go to work, you know that a cup of coffee is all you crave for in order to fight the drowsiness in the morning.  However, coffee in the afternoon can make you restless tense, and disrupt your sleeping pattern.

And yet, you have to stay alert and awake at work. Apparently, a nap is the solution! Researchers have found that a  short nap during the day will help you boost your alertness even better than long bouts of sleep.

A 2015 study found that naps strengthen the immune system by reversing the effects of sleep deprivation. Naps do not have any side-effects, but are highly refreshing, and won’t interfere with your night sleep. 

Nature Neuroscience published a study in which researchers tested subjects on their perceptual performance four times daily. Performance deteriorated with each test, and participants who took a 30-minute nap between tests stopped the deterioration in performance, and those who took a 60-minute nap even reversed it.

Sara Mednick, a co-author of the study and associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, said that naps offer the same benefits as full nights of sleep if they had a specific quality of nap,  and different types of naps offer specific benefits.

Yet, it is not suitable to take a nap in front of your colleagues in the office, and it can be very uncomfortable to nap in the chair with your head on the desk.

Therefore, a Greek designer, Nancy Leivaditou, of Studio NL, found an ingenious solution- a multipurpose desk that can morph into a bed on activation. It is 2 meters long and 0.8 meters wide and is called 1.6 S.M. of Life Desk.

Its upper layer is a sturdy piece of lacquered wood, with a mattress hinged up on one side. The two sides that would accommodate the head and feet are boarded up by plywood, which can be reclined. You just need to slide the top board backward from the sitting position, then push back the mattress, and you are ready for a nap!

It has a built-in TV in case you just need a small break without taking a nap. It is also excellent for the home space, but it is expected to be available for retail soon. However, make sure you always set the alarm before turning in, since it is so comfortable that you can continue sleeping longer than planned!

Source: theheartysoul.com