If the idea of sleeping in the workplace may seem absurd or even inappropriate, it is a concept that is gaining more and more followers in the working world.
Numerous studies have examined the virtues of this practice, which has a beneficial impact on the well-being of workers, but also on their productivity.
Naps in the workplace are a practice that will become more common in the future, but why and how?
More and more employees are suffering from fatigue due to their work environment, their working conditions and even the physical load that this entails. In Canada, nearly 1.3 million people reported suffering from chronic fatigue in 2014.
According to a 2019 Léger survey, nearly 40% of Quebecers have suffered from burnout, and this figure rises to almost 60% if we take Canada as a whole.
This chronic fatigue can be destructive over the long term and unfortunately sets the stage for poor mental health.
According to a NASA study, their employees’ productivity would increase by almost 35% thanks to these power naps.
The nap responds to a biological need present in most mammals to counter the drop in energy and vigilance in the middle of the day. To avoid drowsiness at the office, taking a nap between 2 and 3 p.m. is the ideal way to remedy this fatigue.
Sleeping for about 10 minutes a day helps boost certain cognitive abilities such as creativity. When done daily, the nap even makes those who practice it more dynamic
Sleeping for about ten minutes a day greatly reduces stress and mood swings. Lack of sleep increases anxiety and bad moods, creating a vicious cycle… which a nap can help break.
In the long term, a daily nap helps lower blood pressure. The risk of developing cardiovascular disease is also reduced. In fact, sleeping in small phases (10 to 20 minutes) has the effect of improving cardiovascular regulation.
The power nap would also have the benefit of improving memory and alertness. Indeed, these capacities would be directly impacted by the lack of sleep. Sleeping for a few minutes in the early afternoon would therefore allow us to refuel and make up for any lack of sleep, ultimately improving concentration.
According to a NASA study, their employees’ productivity would increase by almost 35% thanks to these restorative naps. NASA also sees a marked increase in alertness, thereby reducing the number of accidents.
Similarly, Harvard University estimates that the U.S. economy would be greatly impacted by the decreased productivity of a tired worker. The cost of this decline in productivity is estimated to be in the tens of billions of dollars.
