A nap does your body good

Muscle & Fitness/Hers, April, 2003 by Kristina Haar

Got 30 minutes? Try to lie down for a short snooze, suggest researchers from Harvard University (Cambridge, Massachusetts). When they put 30 well-rested individuals through the same set of tasks four times in one day, performance dropped by more than 50% in the subjects who stayed awake the whole day.

Hour-long nappers performed as well on their fourth try as on their first, and those who slumbered just 30 minutes outperformed those who didn't sleep at all. If napping isn't an option, try switching tasks often to allow your brain to rest and process what you've learned.