Power Nap Evidence is mounting that taking a power nap during the day appears to enhance information processing and learning. New experiments by Alan Hobson M.D., Robert Stickgold Ph.D., and colleagues at Harvard University show that a midday sleep reverses information overload and shows a 20 percent improvement in learning a motor skill.

While the so-called “super-achievers” are out on their coffee breaks, researchers say real achievers have discovered a much more effective “pause that refreshes”—the power nap.

Cornell psychologist Dr. James Maas, writes that a 20 minute nap in the afternoon actually provides more rest than sleeping an extra 20 minutes in the morning. He also writes that napping should be considered a part of one’s “daily exercise routine.”