Let Your Employees Nap at 3 PM

If you want to maximize your employees’ performance, consider circadian rhythms when setting  assignments, deadlines, and expectations. The most important tasks  should be done when people are at their peaks in alertness (around  noon and 6 PM). The least important should be scheduled for when alertness dips (very early in the workday and around 3 PM). But we often  flood employees with low-level tasks (e.g., emailing) in the morning, so they can only get to important tasks later in the afternoon, when they have to power through to meet an end-of-day deadline. Instead, consider letting your team schedule naps around 3 PM. Naps can be a good way to regulate energy and increase alertness, and evidence even links them to increased performance. This way, employees can recharge at a time when they’re less useful for important tasks anyway, and they’ll be more alert during the next high point in their circadian rhythms.