Sleeping on the job may still be frowned upon as a sign of laziness. However, an article by Lisa Evans on Entrepreneur says that this attitude is changing. She writes that a trend has developed at tech companies like Google and HubSpot that encourages employee napping to recharge.
Google (GOOG) was among the first large tech companies to promote napping. Apparently, the tech giant introduced energy pods. Energy pods are reclining chairs that sit inside a large bubble, They include built-in music producing soothing sounds and an alarm that wakes up nappers with lights and vibration. The author reports that HubSpot has a nap room. The nap room features a hammock suspended above a plush carpet and soothing cloud-covered walls. Hubspot encourages its 750 employees to catch some z’s at work.
Napping is becoming popular employee perk in some industries. However, the Entrepreneur article says there’s still a great deal of resistance in the corporate world towards sleeping on the job. The article cites 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 … 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 sleep expert says many employers and executives equate naps with slacking off. She says that 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.” The article cites a NASA study that showed that a 26-minute nap can boost productivity by as much as 34%. Naps increase alertness by 54%.
Napping tips
The article The Truth about Napping provides some tips for getting the most out of your naps. They include:
- The best type of nap is a 20-30 minute nap best known as a power nap. According to Harvard Medical School, and countless other studies have shown that a power nap can increase alertness, learning, energy, and memory retention for up to three hours after a nap.
- Webmd.com mentions that a 60-90 minute nap actually improves cognitive functioning. A 30-60 minute nap can decrease blood pressure and help with memory. However, longer naps can result in more grogginess after the nap, so you’ll want to find the nap length that suits you best.
- No naps after 4PM. If you’re looking to sleep well at night, try to nap midday, typically be
tween 1 and 3 PM. Napping after 4 PM can make it much more difficult to fall asleep at your usual time. - Nap at the same time every day. Our bodies love routine. By sticking to a napping schedule, you’ll stay committed to good time management, train your body to nap, and enjoy all of the benefits of a power nap.
- Don’t nap in bed. Lying in bed is literally your pre-sleep ritual, and when you sink down into the soft mattress, you’re basically telling your body that it’s time to close shop for several hours. Take a nap somewhere less comfortable than your bed.
So it seems that napping is a good thing. Here are a few more interesting napping facts in this infographic on napping via Patio Productions.
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Do what do you think are the chances your boss will let you take naps at work? You can cite famous nappers like Napoleon, Winston Churchill, and Salvatore Dali.
Feel free to nap after reading this.
Related articles
- The real reason unlimited vacation policies work (thenextweb.com)
Ralph Bach has been in IT long enough to know better and has blogged from his Bach Seat about IT, careers, and anything else that catches his attention since 2005. You can follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. Email the Bach Seat here.