Leeds research suggests employers should encourage napping, but just for an hour.

New research recently published by the School of Psychology at the University of Leeds suggests that allowing employees to take an hours respite will increase productivity later in the day.

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan, who led the research at University of Leeds, said the time change could see some workers drop to four hours.

She had this to say on the topic "The loss of an hour in bed is particularly detrimental to individuals who already struggle with their sleep, and recent research by Silentnight and the University of Leeds has proved that many people, including children, are dangerously sleep deprived,"

Specifically sleep deprivation can negatively affect a range of systems, including a reduction in immune health, respiratory disease, and even increased risk of diabetes.

She added a brief nap done between 2pm and 4pm but shouldn't be later, as it might stop sleep later at night.

There are a variety of other conditions which can arise from a lack of sleep, although occasional sleep interruptions are generally no more than a nuisance, ongoing lack of sleep can lead to excessive daytime drowsiness, emotional problems, weaker job performance, and a lowered perception of quality of life.

Sources:

medicalnewstoday.com/articles/307334.php

mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/your-boss-should-you-nap-12249746