8 ways to take a quick nap at work

There are days when you just did not get enough rest the night before, and you come in to work feeling sluggish, out of sorts, and in sore need of an energy boost.

It might be because you helped your kids out with their school projects, an anniversary date with your spouse, or a solid night of partying with the guys. It might even be because you burned the midnight oil to meet a deadline at work.

One thing's for sure. After nights like these, your body will find a way to recover, whether you like it or not.

Some choose to do it artificially - with drinks like coffee, soda, or energy drinks. Others choose to do it the natural way, and try to sleep it off.

If you don't have a rest area at work - and let's face it, most don't - here are some discreet sleeping positions that you can try to catch a few zzz's discreetly. 

While this article does not advocate sleeping on the job, studies have shown that a quick power nap can actually make you more productive.

According to the Siesta Awareness group, a 10-20 minute nap in the middle of a working day can make you more productive by over 30 per cent. It also says that according to NASA, that snooze can improve your memory and concentration, as well as a hundred per cent increase of alertness.

Research by the Salk Institute for Biological Studies shows that brain activity remains high in those who take naps in the afternoon, but declines for those who don't. In fact, studies have also shown that power naps will benefit not only those who didn't get enough rest the night before, but basically everyone, as our natural body rhythms naturally plunge at about three in the afternoon. Sounds familiar? This, related to the other findings above, suggests that a quick catnap might be the boost you need to help you get through the rest of the day.

If you do decide to take your afternoon siesta at work, you are not alone.

In a 1993 interview with Dan Rather, then-US President Bill Clinton said: "If I can take a nap, even 15 or 20 minutes in the middle of the day, it is really invigorating to me. On the days when I'm a little short of sleep, I try to work it out so that I can sneak off and just lie down for 15 minutes, a half an hour, and it really makes all the difference in the world."

Other famous nappers include former UK Prime Ministers Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, former US presidents John F Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, Johannes Brahms, Beethoven, and Benjamin Franklin. And we must not forget the Spanish, who to this day, still traditionally go for their post-lunch siesta.

So if you must take that power nap to rest, recharge, and rejuvenate, research shows it's better that you do.

Just don't sleep until you clock out and leave the office.

Read more: 8 sleeping positions you can try