Researchers suggest that the way we think about napping is completely antiquated, especially if they happen at work.

Research suggests that extra sleep can boost memory, reduce stress, and improve sexual performance.

We've got the scientific proof you need to feel 100% comfortable spending extra time with your pillow today.

1. There's a good chance you're sleep-deprived right now

Getting seven to nine hours of sleep is recommended by the National Sleep Foundation. According to a report published by sleep tracking app, Sleep Cycle, in 2015, most people fall short of that target: On average, South Africans only get about six hours of sleep a night – the lowest average sleep time in the world.

According to Dr Abid Malik, medical director of Orlando Health-South Seminole Hospital's Sleep Disorder Centre, napping is the next best option if getting enough sleep isn't possible.

2. Rest Enhances Cognitive Abilities

German neuropsychologists found that napping after learning something improved memory five times compared with staying awake.

The ability of your brain to relax during sleep is linked to your memory. Mandatory nap time? That's just good management.

3. Taking a few minutes is all it takes

You can wake up feeling like a new man by taking a 15- to 20-minute power nap, explains Dr Malik. As you sleep, your brain's chemicals rebalance, making you feel more alert.

4. It prevents you from overindulging

A Stanford University study found that those who sleep less are more likely to gain weight. When you don't get enough sleep, your body produces the hormone gherkin, which makes you crave more food, while leptin, which indicates when you're full, is lower.

5. It's the laziest “and best” way to manage stress

Taking a nap during the day can help you cope with anxiety, according to Allegheny College research. Stress raises blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease, strokes, and even erection problems.

Researchers allowed half of the study participants to doze, and then gave them all a tough exam. The nappers had lower blood pressure after the test than the people who had stayed awake all day. It is believed that shuteye helps your heart recover from stress faster, which lowers your blood pressure.

6. It will make you a better boyfriend

Having arguments with your girlfriend all the time? Check your sleep habits. Research from the University of California, Berkeley found that just one night without sleep can make arguments worse. In addition to being less accurate at reading your partner's emotions, you're also more likely to be cranky.

7. After an all-nighter, it helps you recover

Research shows that sleep deprivation can make you feel stressed and even sick. But you don't have to feel awful after a late night if you catch some mini-snoozes.

In a study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, men who napped twice the day after getting just two hours of sleep reset their stress hormone levels, leaving them less frazzled and healthier than those who never napped.

8. Rest helps heart health

A British study has found that just one night of bad sleep can make your blood vessels less flexible. Scientists think that when your brain is wiped, it signals to your blood vessels to become stiff and unresponsive, which can lead to heart disease. The good news: After getting enough rest, study participants’ vessels returned to normal.

9. Horniness caused by indiscriminate sexual behavior can be cured with it

Researchers at Hendrix College found that men who were sleep-deprived thought women were more attractive and were more interested in casual sex when they were exhausted. The frontal lobe of your brain, which affects judgment, impulse control, social behavior, and sexual behavior, is messed up by sleep deprivation, according to researchers.

10. Life and death could depend on it

According to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people who sleep less than six hours per night are more likely to develop chronic diseases. Scientists think people who sleep less are more stressed out, which may contribute to the development of those fatal conditions.

11. Later this afternoon, you'll be able to focus like a laser

A study from the University of California, Berkeley found that the more hours we spend awake, the more sluggish our brains become. The solution? Nap. Participants in the study who took a siesta during a day of learning were better able to focus later in the day. People who missed naptime were more easily distracted and were unable to learn more effectively.

 

12. Your boner will be boosted

According to a study by the University of Chicago, sleeping less than five hours a day may lower testosterone levels by 10 to 15%. Research indicates that not enough testosterone can result in low sex drive, weaker sperm, and difficulty getting it up. If you don't get enough sleep, your body will produce chemicals that interfere with testosterone production. Get too little, and your body will produce chemicals that interfere.

13. There are some guys who are jerks when they are tired

According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, sleep deprivation increases stereotypes. Lack of sleep depletes your self-control, so the less sleep you get, the worse you become at filtering prejudices you know are wrong. It basically makes you an a-hole. Get some extra sleep to boost your niceness.

14. Rest helps Keep yourself sane and could prevent mental illness

Developing fake memories may be more likely if you are sleep deprived, according to research from the University of California at Irvine.

In the study, people who didn’t get enough shuteye were more likely to report that they saw imaginary details in photos – even though they had just read about those details in a separate narrative. Researchers say a lack of sleep jumbles up the information stored in the brain, causing confusion, but people who get enough sleep do not screw it up.

15. You’ll read women better

Men who are short on shuteye are more likely to wrongfully assume a woman is into them, says a study published in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Researchers found that sleep deprivation narrows your attention span, slows your brain’s ability to process information, and hurts your short-term memory, making you interpret her innocent glance as a meaningful stare.

16. You're getting natural Xanax with this

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that people with inadequate sleep showed significantly higher activity in anxiety-related areas of the brain. When you don’t get enough sleep, you become more uptight. Sleep-deprived people are more likely to develop anxiety disorders – so take a nap, says the study author. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley found that people with inadequate sleep showed significantly higher activity in anxiety-related areas of the brain. When you don’t get enough sleep, you become more uptight. Sleep-deprived people are more likely to develop anxiety disorders – so take a nap, says the study author.

 

17. When it comes to driving, you'll be the boss

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania found that driving when you lack sleep makes you a liability – even if you don’t feel tired. Researchers found that people who slept six or fewer hours a night were almost three times more likely to fall asleep behind the wheel than those who slept seven hours.

Since authorities can't judge whether you've slept enough, drowsy driving may be even more dangerous than drunk driving, the researcher says.

18. Diabetes risk is reduced by it

It has been proven that not getting enough sleep can increase your risk of developing diabetes, according to University of Chicago research. When healthy men were restricted to 4.5 hours of sleep for four days, they had higher levels of fatty acids in their blood, which eventually led to a rise in blood sugar. If you get more sleep, researchers say you can reverse the effects.

19. You'll be in better shape

Studies from Stanford University found that athletes who got more sleep over a three-week period improved their sprint times, endurance, heart rate, and overall workout performance.

Researchers from Stanford University found that athletes who got more sleep over a three-week period had faster sprint times, longer endurance, a lower heart rate, and better workouts overall. Scientists say that most athletes don't get enough sleep to recover from their workouts, which can mess with their minds, moods, and reaction times. However, getting more shuteye can reverse those effects.

20. Rest may be helpful in preventing dementia

A lack of sleep may lead to Alzheimer’s disease, according to research from Johns Hopkins University. While you sleep, your brain essentially cleans itself, removing those plaques. Study participants who didn’t get enough shuteye had more B-Amyloid plaques in their brains.

21. Good for your skin

It's true that guys need beauty sleep too, according to a study from University Hospitals Case Medical Centre. Sleep-deprived people had fine lines, uneven skin tone, and loose skin. In addition to making you age faster, staying up all night weakens your skin’s ability to repair itself, researchers say.