Is Napping At Work Ever OK?

Still finding the adjustment to work after the holidays a bore?  Struggling through another afternoon with a bunch of unanswered correspondence and tiresome administration?  Morning caffeine buzz wearing off?  Why not have a nap?

The positives of a power nap have been discussed for a long time but the majority of people still feel bad for taking an afternoon snooze.  Sleeping on the job has always been frowned upon so it's essential to change how we regard it.  Don’t think of it as sleep, think of it as a reboot.  When your laptop becomes sluggish, closing down any open programs and giving it the chance to restart results in better performance.  Going somewhere quiet and closing your eyes for 15 minutes can have a similar effect on your brain.  In fact, studies have shown that a 10-20 minute power nap actually increases productivity. 

I often work from home so catching forty winks is easy.  A private house affords me the luxury of privacy and peace.  If you work in a busy office it's difficult to have a discreet nap.  Where can you go?  The stationery cupboard?  The toilet?  

There are ways how you can have a swift shut-eye without drawing too much attention to yourself.

Do you drive to work?  A cranky old colleague of mine at the Dimbleby Paper Group used to retire to his car to ‘listen to The Archers’ every day.  He used to do this with the driver’s seat in full recline, we could see him from the second-floor window.  He always used to come back in much brighter which was actually better for the office as a whole.  Don’t be afraid to disappear to your car every now and then.  Smokers in your company amass around 30 minutes of extra break time a day as they step outside for their nicotine fix.  Just think they're stealing company time to ruin their bodies, you’re repairing yours.

If you don’t have a car or live nearby, you have to be more resourceful.  Does your office have a meeting room?  Start disappearing there for 20 minutes a day to do some ‘research’.  Build up a routine so people expect this to happen.  You now have the perfect opportunity for a reboot.  20 minutes is ideal for an effective nap and it’s a short enough duration that people won’t wonder where you have gone and come looking for you.

If you don’t have a spare room, you could try the toilet or the store cupboard but if these options are too small or unsanitary then you could try a stealth snooze at your desk.

Die-hard nappers have this down to a fine art.  If you work in a cubicle it’s easier to get away with, open plan offices are harder but not impossible.  The first thing you need to do is position yourself so you have your back to everyone.  Then you have to create the illusion of working. Holding a book will look like you are quietly reading.  As people glance around the office they will not suspect you are sleeping.  Some advanced snoozers silently sit with a pen poised upon a sheet of paper, others place a hand on their mouse having set their screens to automatic scroll.  Sneaky. 

Sleeping in an upright seated position will come with practice.  Remember, you are only catching some light sleep, you’re not bedding down for the night.  Always remember to set your alarm on your phone.  Missing deadlines and meetings will rumble your absent state.

Try not to be jealous but some companies are ahead of the game.  Weary workers in Japan are already taking five in designated nap areas in their offices.  Google also have sleep pods.

Expect your company to follow suit in about twenty years.  If you can stay awake that long.

Sweet dreams.