The future of the workplace

Is nap time over?

According to The Wall Street Journal, many workers have developed a napping habit during the lock-down:

“In a survey of 2,000 employees working from home conducted by career and jobs website Zippia in late April last year, 33% said they took naps while working from home.”

The explanation to why many people nap when they work from home seems quite straightforward: With no pressure to stay awake coming from outside, people become more aware of how they feel and give in to the natural dip in their circadian rhythm that occurs in the afternoon.

WSJ describes how several informants report positive changes to their wellbeing. Returning to the office, however, many fear that they will no longer be able to benefit from their daily nap because sleeping at work is generally perceived as wasteful and unproductive.

Time to end the sleep stigma

As one informant confides to WSJ, he doesn’t expect to be able to bring his newfound nap habit to the office, because he would be “feeling he is getting away with something illicit.”

Yet, there are many well-documented benefits of napping, and billions of dollars to be gained in increased productivity.

As we enter the re-opening of society, we have the opportunity to end the hidden sleep stigma once and for all. 

Here at Restworks, we believe it all starts with creating dedicated spaces for rest at the workplace, such as nap pods and office sleeping pods, and by providing employees with tools that empower them to get the rest they need.

If we begin to view employee sleep as an investment, we gain a happier and more productive working population than before the pandemic. 

Sources

The Wall Street Journal: You’re Going back to Office. What Happens to your Nap Habit? Published By Ray A. Smith on March 29, 2021.