NIOSH Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours

Introduction

Taking a nap in the workplace: is it really possible and effective?

You may take a coffee break or a break to smoke (even though it is not good for your health), so why not make use of a nap in the workplace to help your brain energize? Many health care providers work the night shift, during which planned napping could be effective.

• Research indicates our brains benefit from a brief period of sleep (that is, a nap), not just a quiet period of time, to recover from fatigue and to help restore alertness.^3,4 The appropriate use of napping may be a key to reducing shift-related health and safety problems.³
• If you do not get enough good-quality sleep at night, you tend to be less alert the next day.^5-9 Studies have shown that a 15- to 20-minute nap in the daytime can improve alertness.^10-13
• Day workers reported significantly higher levels of alertness in the afternoons during a week in which they had naps, compared with a no-nap week. They reported even better improvements in alertness at the end of the week when they had a short nap every day after lunch.¹⁴
• Naps are a temporary aid to improve alertness, not a replacement for getting a regular, long period of sleep at night (or during the day).