Studies show that a short nap during the workday may improve both health and productivity.
What lesson do Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Napoleon, and Al Kirschbaum all have for business?
That a short “power nap” in the afternoon helps you achieve.
Since you probably already know about the world leaders mentioned, let’s take Al Kirschbaum as our example of how it works. As reported by the San Francisco Examiner, Al is a 63-year-old Bay Area investment firm manager, with 49 employees reporting to him and management responsibilities for $6.5 billion in assets.
Al has been snoozing after lunch every day for the last 30 years. “It’s incredibly refreshing,” he reports. “I’m much more energized and alert. It’s like starting the day all over again.”
More Sleep, Better Health
The subject of afternoon naps for business has been an eye-opener since researchers at Harvard and the University of Athens, Greece, recently reported the results of a study of 23,000 Greek workers whose health was followed for more than 6 years. As in many nations with hot climates, taking an afternoon siesta is a common practice in Greek business.
Workplace wellness programs pay up to 300 percent for every dollar invested! Start one with BLR’s new program, Workplace Wellness: Healthy Workers, Healthy Families, Healthy ROI. Try it at no cost or risk for 30 days! Read more.
The researchers found that taking these naps seemingly had a remarkable effect on health, including a 37 percent lower rate of death from heart disease. While the study did not measure the effect siestas had on work and productivity, it opened the topic for wider discussion.
Additional studies then were publicized that did show positive effects of napping at work. A 1997 NASA project showed that airline pilots who were allowed a short nap on daylong flights were 100 percent more alert after the nap and performed their tasks 34 percent better. Major railroads ran similar studies and now allow their engineers to nap between runs.
Afternoon naps may help compensate for the growing American practice of working more and sleeping less at night, according to statistics released by the National Sleep Foundation (NSF).
Less Sleep, More Errors
In a recent poll, NSF found that 63 percent of Americans now get less than 8 hours of sleep a night, and one-third of those polled reported sleeping less now than they did 5 years ago.
An earlier NSF study showed the result of these trends on work quality. Some 40 percent of respondents admitted the quality of their workplace efforts was lower when they were tired, and 19 percent admitted making more errors when they hadn’t slept enough.
Some companies have begun to address the issue by making napping facilities available, though under an interesting euphemism. The law firm Kilpatrick Stockton, in Raleigh, North Carolina, calls its nap area “The Power Room.” This terminology takes away “the stigma of napping and replaces it with strength and energy,” says the firm’s office manager.
Try BLR’s new Workplace Wellness program for up to 30 days! Click here.
If your company wants to consider an afternoon nap period, here are some tips from the Australian business magazine, Flying Solo:
–Keep the nap short. … perhaps 20 minutes. Long naps get into a “deep sleep” cycle from which it’s harder to awaken.
–Nap just after lunch (Yes, just like kindergarten) and eat foods with protein and calcium, which promote sleep, while avoiding fatty or sweet foods—and definitely caffeine.
–Sleep under a blanket. The body loses heat during sleep.
–Use an alarm clock or set the alarm on your cell phone to wake up.
–Make it a ritual. Same time, same place, same way, every day.
And if higher-ups protest that “We’re not paying you to sleep!” quote Winston Churchill:
“Don’t think you’re doing less work because you sleep during the day,” said the man who napped his way to victory in World War II. “You’ll be able to accomplish more because you get two days in one!”
Losing Sleep Over Healthcare Costs?
Start a workplace wellness program. Healthier workers mean lower benefit costs, and improved morale! It’s easy to do with BLR’s new Workplace Wellness: Healthy Workers, Healthy Families, Healthy ROI. Try it at no cost or risk for 30 days. Read more.