8 Science-Backed Ways To Boss Your New Year Resolutions

6. Be More Productive By Napping

If one of your resolutions is to up the productivity a bit, then you'll be pleased to know that many experts are recommending a good nap. We generally think that napping is something that children, students and old people do. You might have noticed that is basically everyone except "adults", so there's obviously something in it. Napping can be seen as lazy and unproductive, but actually, studies are showing that we could be harming ourselves and our productivity by denying ourselves the odd snooze when we really need it. According to the research, a 20 minute nap in the middle of the day can improve alertness and productivity. This is probably not news to you if you're from a place with a tradition for siesta, or even places like Japan, where sleeping on the job is a sign of commitment. 15-20 minutes is thought to be the optimal nap length. Any more and you will fall into a deeper sleep and just feel even groggier, any less and the benefits will be short lived. For an even bigger boost, down a cup of coffee before you nod off and the caffeine will wake you up in 20 minutes' time and make you feel like you could take on the world.