Sleeping On the Job
Napping throughout the day is usually associated with laziness and inefficiency. The expressions "asleep at the switch" and "caught napping" highlight societal beliefs that regard naps as frivolous and unneeded. However, an increasing number of scientific studies show that taking quick "power naps" during the day might positively impact both physical and mental health.
Numerous studies provide evidence for the health benefits of napping, including improving accuracy, cognitive performance, concentration, creativity, mood, memory, perception, reaction time, subjective and objective alertness, and psychomotor performance vigilance while decreasing drowsiness and exhaustion. Recent research showed that a short midday nap improved sustained attention. Moreover, taking one or two naps a week improves immune functions and reduces stress and the risk of stroke, heart attack, and heart failure.
Workplace Benefits
Employee well-being is a broad construct conceptualized as employees engaged in "optimal functioning," which goes beyond earlier conceptualizations that primarily focused on employee engagement, life, and job satisfaction as well-being indicators.
Research demonstrates power naps can:
Rejuvenate employees, enhance work performance, reduce work mistakes, and reduce accidents in the workplace.
Augment sleep deficits in shift workers and those with short sleep schedules. For night-shift employees, napping reduces fatigue at work and boosts productivity.
Lower absenteeism, on-the-job errors, and healthcare costs.
Additionally, a recent report shows that American employees who nap at work are 18% more likely than non-nappers to report receiving a promotion in the past year. This suggests that workplace napping may help individuals increase work productivity and performance. Another study showed that 55% of nappers work in managerial roles, compared to 41% of non-nappers. This data suggests that napping may predict higher job status or that those with more status have more access to workplace napping (WN). Overall, the higher productivity and creativity among nappers explains why sleeping on the job is starting to be accepted and encouraged as part of the job experience — rather than a cause for dismissal.
Implementing Workplace Napping (WN)
Before considering WN for your workplace, it is crucial to understand its unique challenges. For example, night-shift workplaces would have different challenges than typical office environments. In virtual work setups, employers may see less value in allowing naps if physical presence isn't crucial.
Organizations can support WN in various ways. Initially, HR or employee experience officers must gather data to assess interest in a company-wide WN program. If interest is high, critical steps for developing the program include forming a task force to define goals, metrics, feasibility, and constraints and exploring opportunities (like creating napping areas) such as sleep pods or napping areas for 20–30-minute naps. By incorporating proven methods into HR processes, companies can tackle cognitive fatigue, boost engagement, and foster a more efficient workforce. It's also crucial to evaluate the impact using satisfaction levels, productivity, and health outcomes for a comprehensive well-being and success strategy.
Conclusions
Managers and human resources can assess the gap and work towards bridging it by understanding the benefits and myths of workplace napping. When managers integrate WN into work routines, it shifts from personal behavior to an official practice, potentially changing how it is perceived. This shift may reduce the stigma associated with WN. Research suggests that encouraging napping to reduce workplace stress, fatigue, and burnout is one way to foster healthier work environments.
If you would like to find out more about the benefits of workplace napping, click here.
