on the job may be evolving into office protocol—not grounds for termination. A growing number of companies are recognizing the health benefits of a quick snooze, including increased alertness, enhanced brainpower, and fewer sick days. While naps aren't necessary for those who get the recommended eight hours of shut-eye at night, they may be key for those who skimp on sleep. "Most people don't get enough sleep," says Nancy Collop, president-elect of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. "And for those people, a nap will clearly help. The most important factor is duration, and it's well-accepted that short naps are good."
Some companies are offering designated nap rooms or even setting up tents or lofted beds, but at Workman Publishing in New York, employees usually sleep underneath their desks or behind room-divider screens. "You can close your eyes for 10 or 15 minutes and wake up feeling completely refreshed," says Susan Bolotin, Workman's editor in chief, which has been nap-friendly since 2007. "We've seen very positive effects. I keep a nap mat in my office, and I'm still known to lie down, put my sleep mask on, and see what happens." Bolotin has distributed eye masks to her team, and sometimes lends her office floor to those without a private workspace who are in need of a nap. "We have one guy who works here who likes to nap, and you'll walk by and he'll be lying down on a mat like a kid in nursery school," she says. Other companies, including British Airways, Nike, Pizza Hut, and Google, offer reclining chairs and "renewal rooms."
Most employers who allow napping say they do so in the name of their staffers' well-being, which research suggests is a smart idea. People who take daily 30-minute naps are 37 percent less likely to die of heart disease than those who don't nap, according to a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 2007. Naps can also boost the immune system—theoretically leading to fewer sick days—and propel employees into their most alert, energetic, and creative states, say nap advocates. Plus, a well-rested employee is a cheery employee, Collop says: "If you're sleep deprived, you're going to be moody. And if you have to interact in meetings, or if you're a marketing person and have to convince someone to buy your product, that's going to create a problem."
[Driving Drowsy as Bad as Driving Drunk]
At JAWA, a software developing company in Scottsdale, Ariz., employees can nap on a cot in a Zen-like room featuring soothing earth tones. Or they can opt for a beach-themed room and snooze in a futuristic "energy pod"—a helmet-shaped chair that only exposes their legs, which are elevated above the heart. The contraption shuts out external distractions and offers a sense of total darkness and privacy, and it vibrates when it's time to wake up.
The nap rooms are popular among the company's nearly 200 employees, and are the brainchild of Brad Owen, director of content development at JAWA. "When I have to get something done and I'm here a little late, I can either take a 15-minute nap and get it done within an hour—or I can just sit and slog through it, and it will take longer and the quality will suffer," he says. "We definitely see people using [the nap rooms] when they're tired, instead of slamming another energy drink and trying to power through." Employees usually nap during their breaks, Owen says, so they don't have to compensate by staying late: "It's pretty much on your honor, and we haven't had much abuse."
Some companies are even outsourcing their napping. Time Warner, Hearst, and Yahoo!, for example, employ Manhattan-based YeloSpa, which offers power naps in private rooms complete with customized aromatherapy, music or nature sounds, and lighting. A 20-minute nap costs $15, and a 40-minute nap is $28. Most of those companies allow employees to visit YeloSpa during their lunch breaks and have negotiated discounted rates.
YeloSpa has seen an uptick in nap popularity: Business is up 25 percent from last year and 2009 brought a 10 percent increase over 2008. "We hear from a lot of people who say, 'I don't know what I'd do without you—I don't know how I'd make it through the day without a nap,'" says Michael Hazel, YeloSpa's director of operations. "For some people, it's almost like a euphoria. They wake up and it's a fresh start."作者: kinglongyy 时间: 2010-11-19 11:04
中午不睡，下午肯定崩溃作者: xiaomeixin 时间: 2010-11-19 11:23
Yes,I am agree with your point.I have a quick snooze everyday.It can make me feel refreshing.And have more energy in working.作者: goldenrose2002 时间: 2010-11-19 12:18
I am sleepy.作者: yuanchunrong 时间: 2010-11-19 12:37
I sleep in the middle eyeryday作者: kobe 时间: 2010-11-19 13:01
I always作者: ellven 时间: 2010-11-19 17:39
it's important for one person to sleep efficiently
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Yes,I am agree with your point.I have a quick snooze everyday.It can make me feel refreshing.And have more energy in working.