Better Staff? Better Productivity? Better Business? Try Nap Time

One second you’re following your CEO’s PowerPoint presentation on productivity and the next you’re riding over the moon on a purple pony. No, the presentation hasn’t entered a fantasy land, but the sudden heaviness of your eyes has gotten the best of you and you’ve dozed off.

Perhaps you do a better job than me fighting fatigue and don’t slip as far into dreamland. But I know you’re well aware of that lethargic feeling. Typically, offices near and far reach their drowsiness peak around 2-3 pm. It’s about this time during the work day when productivity is at its slowest.; lunch is over and the end of the work day is approaching.

But before you blame your lack of focus on the heavy lunch you just ate, consider that feeling hopelessly sleepy is natural and even to be expected. Though people aren’t actually sleeping during this “after-lunch” down time, their bodies are saying they need to. The body and mind have been up and active since dawn, and The New York Times says “there is a strong biological readiness to fall asleep during the mid-afternoon, even in people who have had a full night’s sleep … The human body was meant to have a mid-afternoon nap.”

If it’s only natural to require a nap, why don’t our schedules permit time to take them? In this hyper-productive and fast-paced industrial society, taking a “break” is a waste of time, as there are always endless amounts of work on our desks. Because we are in a constant state of multi-tasking, slowing down, even if for a few minutes, scares professionals and (especially) their employers.

But just like our computers and machinery must be maintained, so must our bodies. Not only does lack of sleep affect us physically, but mentally and emotionally as well. Taking time for a cat-nap will not only re-energize you, but also puts you in a better mood and clearer state of mind.

AssociatedContent.com reports that employers are now looking at the costs associated with nap-deprived staffs. “The costs to businesses from workers being groggy on the job include increased absenteeism, high turnovers, higher group insurance premiums, and decreased productivity from employees in need of a nap,” they report. Considering the costs and benefits of naps, several companies have instituted “napping” places and times. Some go as far as allowing employees to have beds in their offices.

Though research and nature has assured us of the costs and benefits of naps, the labor force legislation is long from institutionalizing nap time. But when negotiating your next salary and benefits package, it wouldn’t hurt to ask for nap time. A real go-getter may even ask for an office futon and pillow. And if by chance they say no, just ask them to sleep on it.

Posted by Samantha Sims