New Research Shows That Sleeping on the Job Can be a Good Thing

According to clinical psychologist Michael Breus, a 25-30 minute nap during your work day can help you feel energized and alert for longer periods of time... and many companies are buying into it. So much so, that companies like Google and AOL are actually accommodating their sleepy workers, by providing "sleep rooms."

Are you suffering from some work-time nerves? Try slipping away for a 15 minute nap. Cortisol is a "stress hormone," and a quick nap can cut your cortisol in half according to Mandy Oaklander of Prevention.

ABC News reported a Harvard research study that shows that a 30-minute nap can improve a workers productivity immediately after a nap. The same workers performance was boosted well into the later stages of the day with a one-hour nap.

This all does come with a warning. Make sure not to sleep too long. According to Breus, the optimal nap duration is about 20-30 minutes. Any longer, and you need to make sure to complete a sleep cycle of 90-minutes. Otherwise you risk waking up  groggier that you were before the nap.