3 reasons why your employer should encourage napping at work
The uninterrupted, eight-hour workday as we know it is a fairly new invention. Before the 19th century, most workers enjoyed a long midday break. Industrialization did away with the siesta, but at a cost, as we humans are still genetically hardwired for daytime sleep. With a global workforce that is increasingly sleep-deprived, bringing back daytime naps has never been more important.
Reason 1: Employees are sleep deprived
The first reason why employers should allow napping at work is very straightforward: Employees are sleep deprived.
Estimates say as many as 30% of adults globally suffer from insomnia. Covid-19 should has increased that number even higher. The pandemic has been shown to be directly related to climbs in insomnia rates (a syndrome sometimes called coronasomnia).
It is important to remember that everybody experiences a dip in their circadian rhythm around midday. In other words, most adults would likely nap in the afternoon if circumstances allowed them.
Restworks’ 2021 research indicates that employees nap more when working from home – and that they would at the office too, if they could. In fact, 70% of workers agree that employers should encourage naps at the workplace.
Chronic sleep deprivation comes with serious health consequences. It also has a devastating effect on productivity, estimated to cost businesses billions of dollars each year. Sleep-deprived workers are sick and absent from work more frequently. They get less done while at work, and are significantly more prone to making errors and experiencing accidents. For this reason, sleep health is an issue that companies should address.
Reason 2: Naps make people more productive
Naps are not only an effective way to combat sleep deprivation among employees. They are also more performance-enhancing than caffeine. Research clearly shows that after a 20-minute power nap, alertness, cognition, and mood improve significantly – an effect that lasts throughout the day.
The positive effects of napping don’t stop here. For example, there is promising data to support that naps help against anxiety – a major health issue among health care personnel, among others. Likewise, napping effectively mitigates burnout, which affects up to 77% of the workforce.
The benefits of napping at work more than outweigh the time spent sleeping. Encouraging a short nap at work should be seen as an investment, rather than an expense.
Reason 3: Workplaces that offer naps are more attractive to job seekers
Some of the world’s most well-known companies already do it – and if you want to attract a talented workforce, so should you.
Surveys indicate that job candidates are more prone to choose a company that offers the opportunity to nap during the day at their new workplace. They would feel more loyal towards an employer who would let them nap. In these days when US workers are quitting their jobs at record rates, standing out from the competition in the job market should be a high priority.
Nike, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Zappos, Facebook, and Google are among the companies that have chosen to invest in their employees’ sleep health. Will your company be next?
Nap facilities for your workplace
Restworks is the world’s leading provider of rest and nap facilities for the workplace. Our selection includes the famous EnergyPod power nap chair, as well as the GoSleep airport sleep pod. Explore our range of nap pods, recliners, and massage chairs. You are also welcome to contact us if you want to know more about how we can help your business establish rest facilities.
