Whoever you are, wherever you may be, you’ve almost certainly gone to work tired . Most of us know all too well what it’s like to stay up too late, have trouble sleeping , then come to work in the morning feeling like death warmed over.
One company is making waves for introducing a nap policy.
Yes, a nap policy.
Napping isn’t lazy, it’s smart.
Most workplaces aren’t going to tolerate an employee who sleeps on the job. But according to NASA , sneaking in a mid-day nap — ideally a power nap between 10 and 20 minutes long — does wonders when it comes to increasing alertness.
An Indian mattress company has a “Right to Nap” policy.
If any company knows sleep, it’s a mattress company. Therefore, Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, co-founder of the Indian mattress company Wakefit, sent this email to his employees .
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Having a boss who signs off, “Looking forward to catching you sleeping at work,” is incredible.
The company recognizes the importance of a good nap.
In the email, Ramalingegowda cited the NASA study, along with a Harvard study , to underline the importance of napping. To that end, he says that everyone can nap between 2 and 2:30 pm every day.
Workers’ calendars will be blocked off during that time.
9-to-5ers know that a couple of hours after lunch, around 2 pm, energy levels can start to drop. Wakefit’s policy of scheduled midday naps is essentially the same as a siesta — a short nap taken in the early afternoon.
It’s part of a growing trend.
While Wakefit’s new policy has gone viral (at least in Reddit terms), it’s hardly the only company trying out something similar. In fact, companies as diverse as Google and Zappos have formalized napping policies .
The right to nap is a nice perk.
Delving a little more into U.S. companies with napping policies, I think we can all agree that Ben & Jerry’s is awesome. Aside from the perk of three (!) pints of ice cream per day, employees have access to a dedicated nap room.
Scheduled naps at work are better than unscheduled naps at work.
Employees have a job to do, and shouldn’t be allowed to just take constant naps. But setting aside a portion of the day for napping seems like a reasonable concession.
Millions of Americans experience sleep problems.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, nearly 50 million Americans have sleep problems and disorders that can affect their careers. This can put employers in a tough spot as they have to walk the line between accommodating employees and getting work done.
Does your company have a nap policy?
I’ve never worked somewhere that has a nap room or a nap policy. What about you? If you really, really needed to take a nap in the middle of the work day, how would you handle it? Let us know in the comments!
