Napping improves memory, concentration
WHILE many of us feel good about indulging in a little nap on the weekend or while we’re on vacation, having a snooze in the workplace remains frowned upon. However, it’s not a rare phenomenon: many employees admit to taking regular naps during office hours, a recent American survey reveals.
A third of the 1,250 full-time employees surveyed by the Sleep Doctor platform say they take a nap every week during working hours. The idea of dozing off for a few minutes after lunch or in the middle of the afternoon, before working intensively for the rest of the day, is particularly appealing.
There’s even greater temptation when employees are working from home, far from the disapproving eyes of colleagues and superiors.
So it’s hardly surprising that remote workers are more likely than their on-site colleagues to take a nap during their office hours. The average nap lasts around 60 minutes, compared with less than 15 minutes for on-site employees.
Some employee demographics are more likely than others to snooze during their time at work. For example, 52 per cent of men interviewed for the survey said they occasionally snooze at work, compared with only 38 per cent of women. More 18-34 year-olds take a nap during the working day than their older colleagues.
A PRACTICE WITH NUMEROUS BENEFITS
There are several reasons why workers take micro-naps between tasks. The first is lack of sleep. Most working people “nap” to make up for their sleep debt, or to store up energy for the rest of their working day. Americans call these restorative naps “power naps”, an expression coined by Harvard researchers.
However, not all employees who nap during office hours are doing so to improve efficiency. Thirty-two per cent of those surveyed indulge in a siesta as a reaction to the stress they feel in their daily work lives, while 11 per cent do so out of boredom.
Napping is not just for people who don’t get enough sleep at night. Daytime rest has been shown to improve memory and concentration. It also boosts the immune system, reduces stress levels and improves mood. So it would be a shame to be deprived of its many benefits because of what people might think.
Napping is not just for people who don’t get enough sleep at night. Daytime rest has been shown to improve memory and concentration.