By Abby Lemmon

Have you ever caught yourself napping at work? Look around and you may not be the only one! The National Sleep Foundation surveyed 1,154 adults for a USA Today poll. The results revealed that 8% of those polled admitted to occasionally or frequently falling asleep at work and 19% reported making errors occasionally or frequently because of sleepiness.

Although naps should not substitute for quality sleep at night, current research is showing that naps are a good idea. Individuals tend to feel sleepy between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. due to a drop in body temperature. A short midday nap can be “restorative” by improving alertness, sharpening memory and generally reducing the symptoms of fatigue.

Businesses are catching on to the idea of naps and incorporating it into the workplace. The Kansas City–based architectural firm Gould Evans Goodman Associates has put “spent tents” in a corner of its office. Each tent has a sleeping bag, foam pad, Walkman, eyeshades and alarm clock. An engineering consultancy in California installed quiet rooms with pillows and blankets. Other companies allow employees to sleep in their cars or at their desks.

Whether you have a specific place to nap or prefer a quick snooze at your desk, remember that it should just be a short nap. The National Sleep Foundation recommends a 15 to 20-minute nap. Naps longer than this will make you groggy.

The important thing to keep in mind is to nap on your break, not as you work!

For additional information please contact NIFS at 317.274.3432.