A nap can be a beautiful thing when we feel our brain slowly grinding to a halt. Whether its a siesta to shake off a food coma, a daytime doze on a lazy Sunday, or an all-out nap orgy with friends or loved ones, we arise feeling replenished, recharged, and ready to take action. Unfortunately, not very many bossessee any correlation between snoring and success. Onlya handful of organizationBen & Jerrys, Nike, Zappos, Google, and The Huffington Post, to name a fewcurrently see naps assmart business. Theyve invested innap pods and massage chairsbecause they know that, when it comes to boosting productivity and creativity in the workplace, naps can bejust what the doctor ordered.

If you arent among the lucky few who work for nap-friendly bosses, youve come to the right place for advice. Ima Harvard Medical School neuroscientistwho firmly believes in thepower of the unfocused mind, and my goal is to have every business on Earth including your employer embrace naps as a vital part of the workday.

First, allow me to clarify a few things and offer a bit of a disclaimer.

Not all naps are equal, and not all brains are equal. Everyone will respond differently to napping, as some brains are more energy-efficient than others. For instance, a 15-minute catnap might give Sally the salesperson three extra hours of battery life, but it will only provide Mary the marketer with one extra hour of productivity. Science also offers us some words of caution. Unhealthy napping habits may increase the risk ofdiabetes,muscle aches, andheart disease. People who uselong, frequent napsas a substitute for sleep, for example, seem to get ill more often.

On the other hand, strategic napping is scientifically proven to provide countless benefits. To get your boss on board, approach him or her with these three compelling science-backed arguments:

Employee disengagement has officially become an epidemic in America, withGallups 2017 State of the American Workplace Reportrevealing that 51 percent of todays workforce members are disengaged from their jobs. Chances are good that your employers no exception to this trend.

Your boss is probably trying to re-engage the team by preaching (and rewarding) immense focus and tireless, around-the-clock hard work. However, you need to explain to him or her that the human brainoperates at its bestwhen its encouraged to oscillate between focus and unfocus.

Though naps may not seem very engaging,brain sciencetells us a vastly different story. While youre asleep, your brainsfocus circuitsget some much-needed rest, but believe it or not, other parts of your brain kick into overdrive. In fact, the brainconsumesmoreenergyduring a nap than it does while youre awake and the bulk of this energy is devoted toward regions that promoteself-awareness and emotional control. Therefore, naps dont just help us think better; they help usfeelbetter (especiallymorning naps).

A well-rested focus circuit, paired with a greater sense of self, is a recipe for engagement in the workplace. All it takes isfive to 15 minutes per day.

In todays ever-changing business world, innovation is what keeps companies afloat. Creative energy must flow through every department, and its up to your boss to foster an atmosphere that encourages this.

Perhaps he or she bought beanbag chairs, ping-pong tables, and colorful artwork in an attempt to stimulate creative thought, but few things come close to sparking creativity like a nap does. Explain to your boss that naps will help your teamnavigate complex tasks,sharpen its thinking,andkeep a keen eye on its competition. Naps drop drawbridges between seemingly disconnected thoughts and allow for new insights to emerge.

Keep in mind, however, that in order to reap the full creative benefits of napping, its best todevote 90 minutes to each snooze. This may require a rejiggering of the workday; perhaps your company could lengthen its lunch break to promote midday napping, and then extend its office hours a bit to make up for it.

Napping helps people freshen up their ideas and gain sudden, unexpected insights. On a companywide basis, they can give a business just the creative edge it needs to thrive.

Its no coincidence that some of the worlds most endearing and innovative companies were among the first to embrace napping as a viable business strategy. This is the wave of the future, and your boss will be in great company if he or she hops aboard today. Current and prospective employees will be thrilled by the idea of working in a progressive environment that mirrors the likes of Google.

But it also goes beyond business. Some of the worlds most inspiring mindswere also known nappers. Salvador Dal, Ludwig van Beethoven, Aristotle, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison power-napped their way to universal reverence, and even presidentsKennedy, Reagan, and Clintonwere fans of the practice.

If your boss still doesnt see napping as legit, sign and circulate thisnap petitionamongst your co-workers. It will give your group even more cred, and your boss may be more open to listening.

Strategic napping is productivity in disguise and its time for your boss to recognize this fact. Thanks to science, we can now unmask the hidden benefits of naps and bring a whole new meaning tosleeping on the job.

Srini Pillay, M.D., is the CEO of NeuroBusiness Group and the award-winning author of numerous books, including Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind, Life Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear, and Your Brain and Business: The Neuroscience of Great Leaders. He also serves as an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and teaches in the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School.

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Use neuroscience to convince your boss to let you nap at work - Mashable