This is the ideal time to nap every day, according to science

Ah, naptime: the time of day that people around the world seem to understand the importance of, but we Americans can’t quite work into our daily schedules past kindergarten – and in kindergarten we didn’t appreciate naps at all. Five-year-old Jen, why were you ungrateful? Did you not know how it would feel to scrounge for a 3 p.m. cup of coffee every day at your future desk job? I have so many questions.

But luckily, science has our back yet again with a new study that proves at work is the best time to take a nap. We totally already figured this was the case, but it’s nice when you have experts on your side.

Said experts, with the National Sleep Foundation, found that for people who don’t have trouble sleeping at night, a short power nap of 20 minutes (anything more starts a REM cycle, which is a no-no) between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. gets you rested enough to finish out your workday with a bang. However, there’s a little bit of bad news if you toss and turn at night: These naps can make you groggier than if you never napped in the first place. So maybe look into how to get to sleep at night better first, then start thinking about siestas.

Does this mean there’s a real case for those nap desks now? Time to buy in bulk, companies of America.

Check out a short clip about the study here. And if you happen to save the link to anonymously e-mail to your employer, we never saw a thing.

Related reading: 

What people who take naps truly understand about life

Why you should be taking more naps

(Image via Shutterstock)