Good news for all you snoozers – napping actually makes you work harder! Science says so.
Good news for all you snoozers – napping actually makes you work harder! Science says so.
If you caught one of your brokers napping on the job, you may well be tempted to give them the boot, but new research shows they could actually be your most productive worker.
Author and psychology professor Dr. Sara Mednick says napping has unfairly been labelled a habit of the lazy.
“It’s free, it’s nontoxic and it has no dangerous side effects. Hard to believe, with these powerful selling points, that people have to be convinced to nap. But alas, for way too long, napping has been given a bad rap,” says Mednick in her book Take a nap! Change your life.
But all that is changing, with companies such as British Airways, Google, Nike, Pizza Hut and Procter & Gamble jumping on the napping phenomenon – all backed up by science of course.
“Employers want to keep their workers occupied with the business of business,” says Mednick. “But as the facts pile up, the case for napping becomes too compelling to dismiss."
Taking a nap for the right length of time, at the right time of day, can give a range of business boosting benefits, including improved accuracy, decision making, motor skills and perception, lower stress levels and better mood.
Nasa studies found alertness increases by as much as 100 per cent, even in well-rested subjects.
And contrary to what you might think, daytime napping can actually help to improve your nocturnal sleep. Many doctors are now prescribing structured nap programmes to help cure patients with conditions such as severe narcolepsy.
“Going past the warning signs of fatigue can push you into a slightly manic state in which your body revs up so fast to compensate for lack of sleep that you can be too ‘wired’ to fall asleep when you have the opportunity."
It's time businesses changed their attitudes, says Mednick, and embraced the science of sleep.
“If you’re a closet napper, come out and show some pride ... help your fellow employees, family members and friends to see the light.”
To find out when the time for your 'optimal nap' check out the online interactive nap wheel.
