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Employers embrace sleeping on the job

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BROOKLYN, N.Y. -

Nick Herman is napping on the job. But his bosses don't mind-- they encourage it.

"It really rejuvenates me and gets me back. And when I get back to my desk, I'm much better at focusing," the mobile ad designer said.

Herman works at Pontiflex, a mobile app advertising firm. CEO Zephrin Lasker is a big believer in naps and set up a room so employees have a quiet place to doze off.

"Yea, I try to lead by example," Lasker said. "Frequent user of the nap room."

Employees can use the room whenever they feel tired and it's a popular place-- there's almost always someone inside.

Doctors say a nap can do much more than just recharge a tired worker.

"It will improve your memory, it will improve your motor skills, it may even improve your creativity, it may improve your decision-making skills," said Dr. Jordan Stern of BlueSleep.

Pontiflex has seen the results first hand. The company believes naps make workers more productive. And the laid back atmosphere may also be improving their health.

Sleep Doctor Jordan Stern takes his naps in a high-tech energy pod that uses special lighting and music to promote sleep. He says regular 20-minute power naps can reduce stress and lower the risk of diabetes and stroke. A Harvard study found it can even help the heart.

"Those who took a nap had less heart disease-- 40 percent less heart disease if they napped three times a week," Stern said.

Herman's naps last between 15 to 30 minutes. Doctors say anything longer can lead to grogginess.

"I think I get things done faster with the ability to take a nap than without," Herman said.

And that's made this a dream job.

Several major companies including Nike and Google allow their employees to nap.