I recently received a press release from Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, Inc that really sparked my interest. The title of the piece was “Are Naps the Key to Productivity?” and it cited a 2007 study from NASA that found that a 26-minute nap may boost productivity by 34%. A survey the article cited was from the National Sleep Foundation which reported that 34% of respondents were employed by organizations that allowed naps, with 16% designating napping areas.
I’ve telecommuted since 2007, and I am proof that working from home can drastically increase productivity (I’d say by as much as 30%) and significantly improve work/life balance. That said, while I have never napped during a regular work day, I’d be lying if I said the thought of slipping into my warm bed hasn’t tempted me from time to time.
The article has me thinking, though. On those days when I’ve hit a wall and the words aren’t flowing, my research has me feeling fried, and my productivity has all but stalled, what if I just took a quick 30-minute nap? Even just closing my eyes and zoning out for a bit could very well give me the boost I need to break through the slump. It’s an experiment I just may test, of course, all in the name of research.
I’d love your take: With technology making work possible 24/7 and more and more organizations allowing telecommuting and flexible work hours, should more organizations encourage napping at work?
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/littledebbie11/4537332500/”>Debs (ò‿ó)♪</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/”>cc</a>
There is a difference between napping and “sleeping it off”. When I’ve put in a long night writing articles I don’t feel any guilt about sleeping thru lunch. We have a recliner here for just that thing. Sometimes I sleep in my car sometimes in the nap room, depends on the weather. Some workers are fighting a cold, recovering from surgery or a sports injury they are encouraged to nap, some have come in at o’dark thirty to make calls to the EU. There are many valid reasons to nap. I leave it to my employees to decide if a nap will be helpful or not. Napping at ones desk is frowned upon, there is a place to take that break. Pretending not to need a nap isnt helpful or productive. Be present at work and manage your breaks. We are grown ups here. When an occasional nap becomes a regular nap then we need to have a talk. Till then manage yourself and communicate with your management team. Life happens to us all.
All hail the Power Nap! For years power-nappers have demonstrated with increased productivity what a boost to memory, cognitive skills, creativity, and energy levels a short 15 minute nap can bring to us all. Coffee? Sure. Power Napping? Much better.