“Early to bed & early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” Benjamin Franklin In Poor Richard’s Almanack.
But is this possible in today’s world, with so many distractions and a messed up work-life balance? Even though an adult is suggested to get a minimum of seven to nine hours of sleep, it becomes impossible for them to achieve it. A sleep-deprived individual’s graph goes downwards in terms of alertness and performance. Decreased alertness impairs the mind’s ability to think and process.
Did you know in San Sebastian, Spain; the locals enjoy a siesta, during which the shops close down and employees enjoy a long lunch and a healthy nap. Sounds fascinating, right? We all have experienced this when we feel tired at work, during post-lunch hours, mostly having just eaten a lot. But unfortunately, not all of us are in Spain or work at Google.
Nap Policy In Corporate
With the employees opting for newer opportunities and jumping for more flexible jobs, employers are looking for novel ways to attract and retain top talents. Coffee & snacks, trips, maternity leaves, incentives, etc have been the tricks to win over the job candidates till now. And the most recent addition to the list is- NAP ROOMS.
A nap is important as it sends a signal to the brain that it’s time to rest. And thus it is absolutely alright to give oneself a downtime in the middle of a working day. In today’s work world, employees are exposed to tech overload and have a high screen time. When an employee tries to focus on multiple things at the same time, they tend to start losing brainpower. And that’s when a short power nap brings the tiredness back to zero and allows them to get back to work refreshed and conquer the rest of their to-do list.
Benefits of Naps at Work
Sleep Foundation states that a nap of 30 minutes helps in restoring alertness, reduces mistakes, and enhances performance. Apart from this, the other benefits of napping between work are:
- It reverses the productivity destroying effects of a poor night’s sleep
- It boosts memory & information retention by five times.
- It improves cognitive function and creative thinking.
- It reduces stress and anxiety.
- It is better when compared to caffeine intake.
Just as the saying goes- “Every coin has two sides”, there are few studies that don’t approve of napping at work. Those are based on the studies that showed that participants end up being more sleepy or tired after nap time. Irrespective of the benefits of napping, afternoon naps are definitely not for everyone. A few cases when napping can be a con are:
- Insomniac at night: When one knows they can have a nap at noon, their mind tries to alter the circadian rhythms and thus causing nighttime sleep trouble.
- For those who suffer from an unidentified sleep disorder: There are unidentified sleep disorders that take pretty long to be cured altogether. But once a reliable relief is found, the day’s sleepiness would disappear.
- Diabetic: Certain research shows that long afternoon naps are linked to Type II diabetics. The study held by the University of Tokyo stated that there is a 45% increase in the incidence of diabetics with long afternoon naps.
- Daytime fatigue: Other than sleep disorders, there are a lot of reasons that can cause daytime sleepiness. The best way to overcome it is by consulting a doctor and identifying the root cause. Once the root cause is known, one can reclaim the daytime energy better.
Nap Policy @ ATLIQ TECHNOLOGIES
While other HRs were busy zooming in on the people who were yawning, our HR was busy drafting the Nap Policy mail for us. Once upon a time, napping on a desk was grounds for firing, but now is actively encouraged. We believe that short naps actually increase productivity rather than limit it.
Introduced on 21st February 2022, the policy has received a warm welcome. Even though the employees were reluctant initially, they are now more open to the idea. AtliQers now catch a little snooze and get back to doing the best possible job they can. For us, our company culture is one of the top priorities and we ensure to deliver it right. Our employees can nap during/post lunchtime, during tea breaks, or whenever they feel like they need a minute to recharge.
By the way…..We are looking for nap pods! Lets us know 😛
(Just kidding… We are happily sleeping on our desks.)