Sleep deprivation disturbs thinking and reduces reaction time. Workers who are chronically sleep-deprived lack motivation, make mistakes and have difficulty concentrating and making decisions. One way to counter this serious threat to workplace safety is allowing fatigued workers to take naps at work. Napping on the job may seem like the very antithesis of the work ethic. But the idea has been embraced by companies like Google, Pizza Hut and Nike that now set aside company space that workers can use to take naps guilt-free. Here’s a look at how they do it and how you can implement naptime at your workplace.

Do Naps Make a Difference?

Sara Mednick, author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life, says napping can improve stamina, accuracy and motor skills. Mednick says even 10 minutes of shut-eye can have short- and long-term effects on a person’s overall health and ability to remember, problem-solve and work safely.

Critics, however, say that nap policies are feeble attempts to appease workers with yet another perk that does nothing to address the true problem, which is that workers aren’t getting enough sleep. They argue that nap policies can be abused and lower productivity in workers who stretch what should be a 15 to 20 minute power nap into a two-hour siesta that leaves them feeling groggy. They also argue that regular naps can serve as a Band-aid solution, masking signs of a serious sleep disorder such as sleep apnea or insomnia.

According to Dr. James Maas, author of Power Sleep, society doesn’t appreciate sleep as the precious resource it is. He says four out of 10 people cut back on nighttime sleep in order to gain time for things they consider more important. That “cutting back” may come at the expense of workplace safety.

Need a Nap? Then Just Do It

Some companies, though, have decided that no matter what’s causing the sleep deprivation, what’s really important is that exhausted workers be permitted to take what could ultimately be a life-saving snooze. For example:

• At Google, employees have access to parlors where they are encouraged to catch a little shut-eye;
• An architecture firm in Kansas allows workers to recharge in “spent tents” small rooms equipped with an air mattress, sleeping bag, pillow and alarm clock;
• British Airways allows pilots on transoceanic flights to nap before landing; and
• Nike provides workers with “relaxation rooms” where sleeping is encouraged.

5 Steps to Naptime in Your Workplace

A 2008 Sleep in America poll conducted by the National Sleep Foundation found:

• 80% of workers do not nap at work;
• 34% say their employer allows naps during breaks;
• 16% say their employer provides a place to nap; and
• 26% of employees say they would nap at work if their employer allowed it.

If you suspect your workers fall into that last statistic, here are 5 suggestions for introducing napping in your workplace:

1. Designate a quiet location and stock it with napping essentials, including a couch or cot, pillows, blankets and an alarm clock.
2. Introduce the program through your company newsletter and safety meetings. Explain fatigue basics – the body is naturally sleepy between 2 and 4 pm and between midnight and dawn – and set limits as to how long a person can nap; 15 to 20 minutes is ideal.
3. Monitor the program to see how many workers use the facilities and how frequently. Identify workers whose reliance on the nap room may suggest an underlying sleep problem.
4. Urge workers with sleep-related disorders like narcolepsy, insomnia and sleep apnea to come forward in confidence so their needs can be addressed. Consider special allowances (such as longer nap times) for workers with special medical needs.
5. Remind workers that napping should never be seen as a replacement for a good night’s sleep and should be eliminated if it interferes with nighttime sleep.

Conclusion

Many sleep-deprived workers will drag themselves to work day after day, believing they can function normally on insufficient sleep. They can’t. No amount of willpower or caffeine can make up for the hazardous effects of fatigue. Workers who are chronically sleep-deprived may be endangering themselves and their co-workers. Allowing napping in the workplace may be the simplest way to address this hazard. Maybe you should sleep on it.

Story Tools:  Email This Post  Print This Post Top