Latest news with #Kirschner
Boston Globe
23-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
‘Like a horror': A Harvard scientist studied the mysteries of aging. Now her future is in peril.
Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Petrova's future has hung in the balance since Feb. 16, Advertisement The desk of Kseniia Petrova,at Harvard in Boston on April 3. LUCY LU/NYT Those actions have sent chills through the scientific community at Harvard and in her home country of Russia, where her family and former research colleagues say they fear she will be persecuted for her past political activism. Advertisement 'Every day it was like a horror,' said Petrova's mother, Irina Petrova, from their home near Moscow, in the family's first public comments since her ordeal began. 'Something is wrong with this world if such a thing is possible.' Petrova was r To many, both in the US and in Russia, Petrova's case has come to symbolize President Trump's hard-line stance on immigration and his sharply expanded 'The rule of law does not have a carveout for educated individuals with pedigree,' US Attorney Leah B. Foley Now, as her legal case drags into its sixth month, Petrova spends most of her days confined to a small apartment near Fenway Park, where she leads a hermit-like existence, reading biology textbooks and playing the guitar, her friends and lab partners say. She did not respond to multiple requests for an interview. Inside the fifth-floor Harvard Medical School lab where she worked, Petrova's prolonged absence is strongly felt. Advertisement Petrova (right) and Cora Anderson, a research assistant, dressed up for a Halloween party in 2023 at the Harvard Medical School laboratory where they work. Cora Anderson Her colleagues described Petrova as a 'super nerd,' who once dressed up as a dead cell for Halloween and is so committed to her research that she sometimes collapsed on a couch after working through the night. A specialist in bioinformatics, a field that uses computer tools and statistics to analyze large sets of biological data, Petrova was a core member of a team working to turn back the clock on aging cells and develop treatments for age-related diseases. The laboratory, named after its founder and director, Petrova proved to be a quick and versatile learner, immersing herself not only in bioinformatics but also in experiments involving tissue samples, despite having little background in biology, Kirschner said. 'She really wanted to be a full scientist, which I fully agree with,' Kirschner said. Harvard Medical School's 'frog palace' at the college in Boston on April 3. LUCY LU/NYT Like much of biology, the Kirschner laboratory is fixated on frogs — it even has a giant tank known as the 'frog palace' — because the amphibians share many of the same genes and biological processes as humans. The goal was to develop a comprehensive map of embryonic frog cells, which the researchers hoped would be useful for scientists worldwide. Petrova's determination to pursue her interest in the natural world began early in life and was nurtured by her scientific-minded parents. Advertisement She grew up in Moscow as the second child of two engineers. Her father, Dmitry Petrov, is a computer engineer and her mother, Irina, a specialist in radio antennas. Speaking from their summer home in Kuchino, a village in a forested area west of Moscow, Petrova's parents described their daughter as an adventurous, free-spirited girl and gifted musician. Photos and videoes shared by her family show her playing the flute and Kseniia Petrova (left) with her parents, Dmitry and Irina, at their home in Kuchimo, Russia. A Harvard Medical School scientist, Petrova, now 31, faces possible deportation to Russia for attempting to bring undeclared biological samples into the country. Vladimir Mazin The family's log cabin-style summer home in the forest was a refuge for Petrova to nurture her creativity, her parents said. Friends and scientists would gather at their home in the woods, often discussing books and playing music until late at night, her parents said. Sometimes she was so immersed in her studies that she would bring her laptop or book outside and read on a tree stump while her family foraged for mushrooms or berries, recalled Vladimir Mazin, a scientist and longtime family friend. In a sign of her early resolve, Petrova decided at age 13 that she would transfer from a focus on English studies to biology and chemistry. She completed the paperwork herself and switched programs without consulting her parents. 'Kseniia was a very determined child. She would make a decision and stand by it at a very early age,' Mazin said. Petrova, as a child, carried a log through the woods near their home in Kuchimo, Russia. Dmitry Petrov Petrova's interest in politics long preceded the invasion of Ukraine, her parents said. In 2011, while she was still a teenager, Petrova and her older brother became official election observers on a commission tasked with certifying the local results of Russia's parliamentary election. The 2011 election was marred by Advertisement Then, on the day after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Petrova and her friends joined protesters on the streets of Moscow. The following day, Petrova protested again and was arrested, charged with an administrative offense, and released, her parents said. That incident, her parents said, made it difficult for her to find a job in scientific research in Russia and contributed to her decision to leave the country for a job at Harvard. After graduating in 2022 from the prestigious an important step to identifying and treating hereditary diseases. But suggested that she rethink her outspoken support of the opposition movement to Putin so she could get through the security clearance process, Severinov said. When she refused, Severinov brought Petrova on as a consultant rather than an employee. Advertisement 'I would say it was partly naivete, but it was also about her being a principled person,' Severinov said. 'There's an irony to the fact that Kseniia is someone who suffered here [in Russia] because of her political views, and now she's suffering where she's presumably on the good side. It turns out this is all like [the novel] '1984.'' Petrova's family and colleagues are now worried for her future, which looks precarious, given the nature of her alleged offense and her history of political activism in Russia. After stopping Petrova, a federal customs officer at Logan reviewed her phone and uncovered a series of text messages suggesting Petrova knew she was supposed to declare biological material when entering the United States — and then misled authorities, according to While sitting on the tarmac, Petrova fired back in a text, 'No plan yet. I won't be able to swallow them,' according to the criminal complaint. A container of frog embryos in the Kirschner Lab at Harvard Medical School in Boston on April 3. LUCY LU/NYT When Petrova was questioned by the customs official, she denied carrying any biological material in her luggage and said she didn't know she was supposed to declare the frog embryos, prosecutors allege. Yet Petrova's attorneys maintain there was no legal basis for detaining and charging her, arguing the frog eggs in her luggage were not biological material as classified In interviews, four immigration law experts Yet if she is deported back to Russia, several immigration experts said, it is highly likely she would be arrested and imprisoned for her outspoken opposition to Putin's policies. 'There is no worse place that [Petrova] could go than Russia,' said Inside his lab office, decorated with framed images of frogs, Kirschner looked crestfallen as he discussed the loss of one of his star researchers. He recalled how, decades ago, he brought intact live frogs from Switzerland through US customs at an airport with little hassle. 'I definitely feel emotional about this,' Kirschner said. 'It makes me realize that, with all these changes, that we're moving toward more of a police state.' Petrova left federal court in Boston on June 12. Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff Petrova's parents said they talk to their daughter via video feed two or three times a week, and remain anxious about her fate if she is deported to Russia. 'We have brutal repressions in this country,' said her father, looking downcast. 'We don't know if they will forget about [Kseniia] or they will brutally put her to trial.' He added, 'In Russia, authorities act as they wish.' On June 12, Petrova was released from ICE custody, emerging from the front doors of the Boston courthouse wearing a T-shirt that said 'Hakunka matata,' or 'no worries.' Since then, Petrova has taken up several new hobbies, her parents and friends said, including wood etching and baking bread. She's also planted more vegetable seeds, which have begun to sprout around her apartment. Chris Serres can be reached at
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ex-MSNBC Legal Analyst Has A Prediction For Trump, And It Involves 'The C-Word'
Glenn Kirschner, a former federal prosecutor and ex-MSNBC legal analyst, believes President Donald Trump and his Department of Justice will face criminal contempt charges over their defiance of U.S District Judge James E. Boasberg's orders to halt recent deportations. Trump invoked an 18th century wartime act last week to deport hundreds of immigrants to a prison in El Salvador, ignoring a verbal order from Boasberg. He has since called for the judge, whom the White House called a 'Democrat activist,' to be impeached. On 'The Dean Obeidallah Show' Thursday, Kirschner weighed the potential consequences. 'I was a prosecutor for 30 years,' he told the SiriusXM radio host. 'You don't write in pleadings or say in court, things like, 'Judge, we don't believe the information you're looking for is relevant.' Guess whose determination that is, sport? Not yours! The judge's!' 'We are going to see the C-word uttered very soon — contempt,' Kirschner continued. 'It will start as criminal contempt. It will very likely morph, it will start as civil contempt that will very likely morph into criminal contempt.' The openly defiant administration told Boasberg in a court filing Wednesday to be more 'respectful,' prompting the federal judge to give the administration 24 more hours to fulfill his demand for more information about their refusal to follow his initial order. The Justice Department characterized Boasberg's demand for information about the deportation flights as 'a picayune dispute over the micromanagement of immaterial factfinding,' as opposed to a potentially illegal defiance of a federal judge's order. 'I don't remember lawyers, in the times I practiced, telling judges, 'You don't know what you're talking about,' in writing!' Obeidallah, a former attorney, told Kirschner. 'And this is, I'm sure, [U.S. Attorney General] Pam Bondi doing this for Donald Trump.' On Friday, Trump claimed that he 'didn't sign' the document invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 that led to the deportations — and claimed 'other people handed it' — despite his name being readily visible at the bottom. The comment came less than a week after Trump baselessly claimed that his predecessor, former President Joe Biden, used an autopen during his time in office on numerous pardons that are now supposedly 'void.' Kirschner foresees things getting dicier for Trump. 'For the viewers at home, here's a fun fact,' he said Thursday. 'The only time a judge can appoint an independent prosecutor to prosecute a case, it is contempt of court for violating court orders. So hold on tight because the ride is going to get a whole lot bumpier.' Greg Gutfeld Tells Justice Roberts To 'Shut The F Up' Over Trump's Deportations 'My God': Jordan Klepper Calls Out Trump White House's 'Bulls**t' Deportation Claim A Timeline Of The Legal Wrangling And Deportation Flights After Trump Invoked The Alien Enemies Act
Boston Globe
06-02-2025
- Health
- Boston Globe
Devoted nap-takers explain the benefits of sleeping on the job
Advertisement Yet it's hard to catch a few z's during regular business hours in the United States, where people who nap can be viewed as lazy. The federal government even bans sleeping in its buildings while at work, except in rare circumstances. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Individuals who are willing and able to challenge the status quo are becoming less hesitant to describe the payoffs of taking a dose of microsleep. Marvin Stockwell, the founder of PR firm Champion the Cause, takes short naps several times a week. 'They rejuvenate me in a way that I'm exponentially more useful and constructive and creative on the other side of a nap than I am when I'm forcing myself to gut through being tired,' Stockwell said. The art of napping Sleep is as important to good health as diet and exercise, but too many people don't get enough of it, according to James Rowley, program director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship at Rush University Medical Center. 'A lot of it has to do with electronics. It used to be TVs, but now cellphones are probably the biggest culprit. People just take them to bed with them and watch,' Rowley said.' Napping isn't common in academia, where there's constant pressure to publish, but University of Southern California lecturer Julianna Kirschner fits in daytime naps when she can. Kirschner studies social media, which she says is designed to deliver a dopamine rush to the brain. Viewers lose track of time on the platforms, interrupting sleep. Kirschner says she isn't immune to this problem — hence, her occasional need to nap. Advertisement The key to effective napping is to keep the snooze sessions short, Rowley said. Short naps can be restorative and are more likely to leave you more alert, he said. 'Most people don't realize naps should be in the 15- to 20-minute range,' Rowley said. 'Anything longer, and you can have problems with sleep inertia, difficulty waking up, and you're groggy.' Individuals who find themselves consistently relying on naps to make up for inadequate sleep should probably also examine their bedtime habits, he said. A matter of timing Mid-afternoon is the ideal time for a nap because it coincides with a natural circadian dip, while napping after 6 p.m. may interfere with nocturnal sleep for those who work during daylight hours, said Michael Chee, director of the Centre for Sleep and Cognition at the National University of Singapore. 'Any duration of nap, you will feel recharged. It's a relief valve. There are clear cognitive benefits,' Chee said. A review of napping studies suggests that 30 minutes is the optimal nap length in terms of practicality and benefits, said Ruth Leong, a research fellow at the Singapore center. 'When people nap for too long, it may not be a sustainable practice, and also, really long naps that cross the two-hour mark affect nighttime sleep,' Leong said. Experts recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes, which gives nappers a few minutes to fall asleep. But even a six-minute nap can be restorative and improve learning, said Valentin Dragoi, scientific director of the Center for Neural Systems Restoration, a research and treatment facility run by Houston Methodist hospital and Rice University. Advertisement Bucking the trend While workplace dozing is uncommon in the US, some companies and managers encourage it. Will Bryk, founder of AI search startup Exa, swears by 20-minute power naps and ordered two sleeping pods for employees to use in his company's San Francisco office. Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's has had a nap room in its Vermont headquarters for a couple of decades, and a handful of employees use it, company spokesman Sean Greenwood said. 'Employees who feel taken care of are much more likely to use this responsibly," he said. Arianna Huffington, the celebrity author who co-founded the news website Huffington Post, became an advocate of a good night's sleep and occasional naps after she collapsed from exhaustion in 2007. She installed a nap room at her former company, now called HuffPo, and at Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company where she serves as founder and CEO. 'If people have been up all night because of a sick child or a delayed flight, if they have the opportunity to nap, ... then they will be much more productive and creative for the rest of the day instead of dragging themselves or trying to boost their energy through multiple coffees or cinnamon buns,' Huffington said in an email. Kirsten Perez, 33, is a devoted napper. She used to use her lunch break at work to catch a few winks in her car. When she got her own office, she closed the door for a siesta while sitting at her desk. Nowadays, working from home as a marketing manager at Nvidia, the Atlanta resident usually takes her daily nap in bed. She sets an alarm for 15 minutes, falls asleep within a minute and wakes up 30 seconds before the alarm rings. Advertisement 'I can tell when my reasoning, my mood are dropping, just kind of feeling the drag of the day,' Perez said. In those situations, she asks herself, ''Do I have a chunk of time in the next hour or so?' And then I'll figure out when I can find 15 minutes and find myself horizontal.' Creating space for sleep Naps are accepted and even a necessity in some occupations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages naps for nurses working night shifts. But many nurses can't sleep at the hospitals where they work because they're too busy and aren't given access to beds. Nurses "regularly struggle to have sufficient time to use the bathroom or go outside for fresh air, no less take a nap," said a spokesperson for the National Nurses United union. Some companies are trying to fill the void. Inspired by his mother who worked as a nurse, Neil Wong founded Nap York, which offers sleeping pods in Manhattan and Queens that can be rented for about $27 an hour. His regular customers include super-commuters, UPS drivers, a security guard who works two full-time jobs, and doctors who work at nearby hospitals. Nap York also gives half-off prices to essential workers such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. 'In this society, you really only have two place to sleep: you have your bed at home and you have a hotel room you can probably get for 100 bucks,' Wong said. 'There's really no third space that's quiet, that provides some privacy, where you can also rest.' Advertisement
The Hill
06-02-2025
- Health
- The Hill
Devoted nap-takers explain the benefits of sleeping on the job
NEW YORK (AP) — They snooze in parking garages, on side streets before the afternoon school run, in nap pods rented by the hour or stretched out in bed while working from home. People who make a habit of sleeping on the job comprise a secret society of sorts within the U.S. labor force. Inspired by famous power nappers Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein, today's committed nap-takers often sneak in short rest breaks because they think the practice will improve their cognitive performance but still carries a stigma. Multiple studies have extolled the benefits of napping, such as enhanced memory and focus. A mid-afternoon siesta is the norm in parts of Spain and Italy. In China and Japan, nodding off is encouraged since working to the point of exhaustion is seen as a display of dedication, according to a study in the journal Sleep. Yet it's hard to catch a few z's during regular business hours in the United States, where people who nap can be viewed as lazy. The federal government even bans sleeping in its buildings while at work, except in rare circumstances. Individuals who are willing and able to challenge the status quo are becoming less hesitant to describe the payoffs of taking a dose of microsleep. Marvin Stockwell, the founder of PR firm Champion the Cause, takes short naps several times a week. 'They rejuvenate me in a way that I'm exponentially more useful and constructive and creative on the other side of a nap than I am when I'm forcing myself to gut through being tired,' Stockwell said. The art of napping Sleep is as important to good health as diet and exercise, but too many people don't get enough of it, according to James Rowley, program director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship at Rush University Medical Center. 'A lot of it has to do with electronics. It used to be TVs, but now cellphones are probably the biggest culprit. People just take them to bed with them and watch,' Rowley said.' Napping isn't common in academia, where there's constant pressure to publish, but University of Southern California lecturer Julianna Kirschner fits in daytime naps when she can. Kirschner studies social media, which she says is designed to deliver a dopamine rush to the brain. Viewers lose track of time on the platforms, interrupting sleep. Kirschner says she isn't immune to this problem — hence, her occasional need to nap. The key to effective napping is to keep the snooze sessions short, Rowley said. Short naps can be restorative and are more likely to leave you more alert, he said. 'Most people don't realize naps should be in the 15- to 20-minute range,' Rowley said. 'Anything longer, and you can have problems with sleep inertia, difficulty waking up, and you're groggy.' Individuals who find themselves consistently relying on naps to make up for inadequate sleep should probably also examine their bedtime habits, he said. A matter of timing Mid-afternoon is the ideal time for a nap because it coincides with a natural circadian dip, while napping after 6 p.m. may interfere with nocturnal sleep for those who work during daylight hours, said Michael Chee, director of the Centre for Sleep and Cognition at the National University of Singapore.. 'Any duration of nap, you will feel recharged. It's a relief valve. There are clear cognitive benefits,' Chee said. A review of napping studies suggests that 30 minutes is the optimal nap length in terms of practicality and benefits, said Ruth Leong, a research fellow at the Singapore center. 'When people nap for too long, it may not be a sustainable practice, and also, really long naps that cross the two-hour mark affect nighttime sleep,' Leong said. Experts recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes, which gives nappers a few minutes to fall asleep. But even a six-minute nap can be restorative and improve learning, said Valentin Dragoi, scientific director of the Center for Neural Systems Restoration, a research and treatment facility run by Houston Methodist hospital and Rice University. Bucking the trend While workplace dozing is uncommon in the U.S., some companies and managers encourage it. Will Bryk, founder of AI search startup Exa, swears by 20-minute power naps and ordered two sleeping pods for employees to use in his company's San Francisco office. Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's has had a nap room in its Vermont headquarters for a couple of decades, and a handful of employees use it, company spokesman Sean Greenwood said. 'Employees who feel taken care of are much more likely to use this responsibly,' he said. Arianna Huffington, the celebrity author who co-founded news website Huffington Post, became an advocate of a good night's sleep and occasional naps after she collapsed from exhaustion in 2007. She installed a nap room at her former company, now called HuffPo, and at Thrive Global, a wellness technology company where she serves as founder and CEO. 'If people have been up all night because of a sick child or a delayed flight, if they have the opportunity to nap, … then they will be much more productive and creative for the rest of the day instead of dragging themselves or trying to boost their energy through multiple coffee or cinnamon buns,' Huffington said in an email. Kirsten Perez, 33, is a devoted napper. She used to use her lunch break at work to catch a few winks in her car. When she got her own office, she closed the door for an afternoon siesta while sitting at her desk. Nowadays, working from home as a marketing manager at Nvidia, the Atlanta resident usually takes her daily nap in bed. She sets an alarm for 15 minutes, falls asleep within a minute and wakes up 30 seconds before the alarm rings. 'I can tell when my reasoning, my mood are dropping, just kind of feeling the drag of the day,' Perez said. In those situations, she asks herself, ''Do I have a chunk of time in the next hour or so?' And then I'll figure out when I can find 15 minutes and find myself horizontal.' Creating space for sleep Naps are accepted and even a necessity in some occupations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages naps for nurses working night shifts. But many nurses can't sleep at the hospitals where they work because they're too busy and aren't given access to beds. Nurses 'regularly struggle to have sufficient time to use the bathroom or go outside for fresh air, no less take a nap,' Michelle Morris, spokesperson for the National Nurses United union, said. Some companies are trying to fill the void. Inspired by his mother who worked as a nurse, Neil Wong founded Nap York, which offers sleeping pods in Manhattan and Queens that can be rented for about $27 an hour. His regular customers include super-commuters, UPS drivers, a security guard who works two full-time jobs, and doctors who work at nearby hospitals. Nap York also gives half-off prices to essential workers such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. 'In this society, you really only have two place to sleep: you have your bed at home and you have a hotel room you can probably get for 100 bucks,' Wong said. 'There's really no third space that's quiet, that provides some privacy, where you can also rest.'
The Independent
06-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Devoted nap-takers explain the benefits of sleeping on the job
They snooze in parking garages, on side streets before the afternoon school run, in nap pods rented by the hour or stretched out in bed while working from home. People who make a habit of sleeping on the job comprise a secret society of sorts within the U.S. labor force. Inspired by famous power nappers Winston Churchill and Albert Einstein, today's committed nap-takers often sneak in short rest breaks because they think the practice will improve their cognitive performance but still carries a stigma. Multiple studies have extolled the benefits of napping, such as enhanced memory and focus. A mid-afternoon siesta is the norm in parts of Spain and Italy. In China and Japan, nodding off is encouraged since working to the point of exhaustion is seen as a display of dedication, according to a study in the journal Sleep. Yet it's hard to catch a few z's during regular business hours in the United States, where people who nap can be viewed as lazy. The federal government even bans sleeping in its buildings while at work, except in rare circumstances. Individuals who are willing and able to challenge the status quo are becoming less hesitant to describe the payoffs of taking a dose of microsleep. Marvin Stockwell, the founder of PR firm Champion the Cause, takes short naps several times a week. 'They rejuvenate me in a way that I'm exponentially more useful and constructive and creative on the other side of a nap than I am when I'm forcing myself to gut through being tired,' Stockwell said. The art of napping Sleep is as important to good health as diet and exercise, but too many people don't get enough of it, according to James Rowley, program director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship at Rush University Medical Center. 'A lot of it has to do with electronics. It used to be TVs, but now cellphones are probably the biggest culprit. People just take them to bed with them and watch,' Rowley said.' Napping isn't common in academia, where there's constant pressure to publish, but University of Southern California lecturer Julianna Kirschner fits in daytime naps when she can. Kirschner studies social media, which she says is designed to deliver a dopamine rush to the brain. Viewers lose track of time on the platforms, interrupting sleep. Kirschner says she isn't immune to this problem — hence, her occasional need to nap. The key to effective napping is to keep the snooze sessions short, Rowley said. Short naps can be restorative and are more likely to leave you more alert, he said. 'Most people don't realize naps should be in the 15- to 20-minute range,' Rowley said. 'Anything longer, and you can have problems with sleep inertia, difficulty waking up, and you're groggy.' Individuals who find themselves consistently relying on naps to make up for inadequate sleep should probably also examine their bedtime habits, he said. A matter of timing Mid-afternoon is the ideal time for a nap because it coincides with a natural circadian dip, while napping after 6 p.m. may interfere with nocturnal sleep for those who work during daylight hours, said Michael Chee, director of the Centre for Sleep and Cognition at the National University of Singapore.. 'Any duration of nap, you will feel recharged. It's a relief valve. There are clear cognitive benefits,' Chee said. A review of napping studies suggests that 30 minutes is the optimal nap length in terms of practicality and benefits, said Ruth Leong, a research fellow at the Singapore center. 'When people nap for too long, it may not be a sustainable practice, and also, really long naps that cross the two-hour mark affect nighttime sleep,' Leong said. Experts recommend setting an alarm for 20 to 30 minutes, which gives nappers a few minutes to fall asleep. But even a six-minute nap can be restorative and improve learning, said Valentin Dragoi, scientific director of the Center for Neural Systems Restoration, a research and treatment facility run by Houston Methodist hospital and Rice University. Bucking the trend While workplace dozing is uncommon in the U.S., some companies and managers encourage it. Will Bryk, founder of AI search startup Exa, swears by 20-minute power naps and ordered two sleeping pods for employees to use in his company's San Francisco office. Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry's has had a nap room in its Vermont headquarters for a couple of decades, and a handful of employees use it, company spokesman Sean Greenwood said. ' Employees who feel taken care of are much more likely to use this responsibly," he said. Arianna Huffington, the celebrity author who co-founded news website Huffington Post, became an advocate of a good night's sleep and occasional naps after she collapsed from exhaustion in 2007. She installed a nap room at her former company, now called HuffPo, and at Thrive Global, a wellness technology company where she serves as founder and CEO. 'If people have been up all night because of a sick child or a delayed flight, if they have the opportunity to nap, ... then they will be much more productive and creative for the rest of the day instead of dragging themselves or trying to boost their energy through multiple coffee or cinnamon buns,' Huffington said in an email. Kirsten Perez, 33, is a devoted napper. She used to use her lunch break at work to catch a few winks in her car. When she got her own office, she closed the door for an afternoon siesta while sitting at her desk. Nowadays, working from home as a marketing manager at Nvidia, the Atlanta resident usually takes her daily nap in bed. She sets an alarm for 15 minutes, falls asleep within a minute and wakes up 30 seconds before the alarm rings. 'I can tell when my reasoning, my mood are dropping, just kind of feeling the drag of the day,' Perez said. In those situations, she asks herself, ''Do I have a chunk of time in the next hour or so?' And then I'll figure out when I can find 15 minutes and find myself horizontal.' Creating space for sleep Naps are accepted and even a necessity in some occupations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages naps for nurses working night shifts. But many nurses can't sleep at the hospitals where they work because they're too busy and aren't given access to beds. Nurses "regularly struggle to have sufficient time to use the bathroom or go outside for fresh air, no less take a nap," Michelle Morris, spokesperson for the National Nurses United union, said. Some companies are trying to fill the void. Inspired by his mother who worked as a nurse, Neil Wong founded Nap York, which offers sleeping pods in Manhattan and Queens that can be rented for about $27 an hour. His regular customers include super-commuters, UPS drivers, a security guard who works two full-time jobs, and doctors who work at nearby hospitals. Nap York also gives half-off prices to essential workers such as police officers, firefighters and emergency medical service personnel. 'In this society, you really only have two place to sleep: you have your bed at home and you have a hotel room you can probably get for 100 bucks,' Wong said. 'There's really no third space that's quiet, that provides some privacy, where you can also rest.'
