Ever reached that point mid-afternoon when you know you’ve still got plenty to do to but just can’t concentrate? You don’t want to be nodding off during an important meeting or, worse still, driving home after work low on concentration.

Well the smart designers at Studio NL have come up with a way you can grab some Zzz s for a quick power nap right at your desk. They’ve created the first ever work desk that converts into a full-sized bed to workers can grab a snooze and feel refreshed for the rest of the day.

The convertible desk was designed to enable exhausted workers to take power naps to re-energise them and prevent fatigue. There is much medical evidence in favor of the 20-minute power nap, which has been shown to enhance alertness, memory, creativity and motor learning skills.

Now we all know that companies like Google advocate their employees taking short sleeps to help them perform better at work by providing special quiet rooms and pods for them to sleep in but the convertible desk was designed specially for organisations where space is at a premium. Smaller office spaces mean they have to be smarter about the use of every available square metre and that means facilitating quality down time.

A prototype of the convertible desk, made from wood, white leather and metal, is 2 metres long, making it a much more space-conscious alternative.

The desk features a thin mattress on the bottom, a removable back and a flap that opens out to create an angled head rest. It even has a computer monitor at one end to enable users who are bedding down for the night over a deadline to watch a show before they go to sleep.

NL Studio suggest that the desk could also be used in university libraries, replacing the makeshift beds created by panicked students in the run up to deadlines.

Although napping is becoming a more popular employee perk in some industries, there’s still a great deal of resistance in the corporate world towards sleeping on the job, says Terry Cralle, a certified sleep expert who helps companies to implement a company culture that encourages napping.

“I’m still surprised that people are put off by napping,” she says. “We’ve got great research supporting the fact that naps can help corporations and employees, yet we still feel reluctant to make it an acceptable part of a healthy lifestyle and a healthy workday.”

The problem, she says, is that many employers and executives equate naps with slacking off, something Cralle says couldn’t be farther from the truth. “Some large companies have workout areas or gyms on-site and yet we’re turning a blind eye to sleep and it’s a biological necessity,” she says.

So the next time your boss catches you asleep under your desk, just tell them you’re recharging in preparation for a more productive afternoon.

Sleep well. Work well. Play well.