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Paramus Company Turns Storage Closet Into Napping Room For Employees

PARAMUS, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- A financial services firm in New Jersey is making room in the day for a little snooze time.

Nationwide Planning Associates in Paramus has turned a storage closet into what it calls the "Rejuvenation Center."

The financial services firm spent less than $1,000 on an easy chair, dim lighting, cool green walls and a water fountain to help employees become more productive.

Workers can schedule 20-minute sessions twice a week to get away during peak nap time -- 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., the company said.

"It's hard to relay how beneficial it really is unless you try it," Chief Compliance Officer James Colleary said. "You have a cup of coffee in the afternoon, you might get a little bit of a boost from that, but only after you have a true power nap, do you really know what it's like to be alert and energized in the middle of the day."

Workers already seem to be enjoying the brief breaks.

"It's great. Twenty minutes out of the day, it feels good," intern Maria Koropetska told CBS 2's Derricke Dennis on Tuesday.

"Very relaxing, yes of course," financial consultant Libby Rosekranz added.

Doctors say napping has several health benefits, including reduced fatigue, increased alertness and improved performance, but officials at the firm say there are other business benefits as well.

"One, reduced employee turnover, that's great, that's a huge benefit for any company," said Mike Karalewich with Nationwide Planning Advocates. "And when you have an employee that's happy, they tend to produce more and they want to produce more."

The center can only be used by one person at a time and important work projects must always come first, the company said.

What do you think of company-backed power naps? Sound off in our comments section below. 

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