In an ordinary workday, a disproportion between the growing homeostatic sleep pressure and the circadian alerting signal can lead to increased tiredness and decreased alertness. This, together with other mental and emotional indicators, has the net effect of reducing productivity.
To boost productivity, companies should encourage their employees to take regular naps. More productive workers have more time to accomplish more for their companies and in their personal lives.
However, many people are stigmatized for taking a nap during the workday.
Do Naps at Work Increase Productivity?
Napping during the workday may seem like a bad idea, but it can enhance productivity and performance.
The National Sleep Institution has shown that even a short nap of up to 30 minutes improves alertness and performance while decreasing the likelihood of errors and accidents. When you take a short rest, your focus and productivity improve.
Napping can also positively impact your health since it lowers cortisol levels, reducing feelings of stress and despair (a kind of hormone known to elevate your blood sugar).
The duration of your snooze is critical. Sleep inertia can set in after a slumber of more than 30 minutes, making you feel tired and sluggish. Is it possible to increase productivity when napping?
Taking a little sleep in the middle of the day offers several advantages, including:
Enhanced Ability to Solve Problems in a Novel and Innovative Manner
A power sleep can help you find the best solution to a complex problem by refreshing your thoughts and giving you an extra edge.
Improved Ability to Reason Logically
The 20-minute power sleep provides another benefit. It's an excellent way to reinvigorate your ability to solve problems.
Learning
A power sleep comes in handy when trying to learn something new. Short naps can help you acquire new concepts and recall crucial information more quickly.
Even while you're at home, these benefits can make you more productive. Reduced stress levels can lead to increased productivity by taking an afternoon nap.
An increase in the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline, as well as the subsequent decline in cognitive performance, occurs while you are under stress.
You may accomplish more by making fewer mistakes and avoiding going back and redoing the work if you have enough stamina to go through the day.
Getting adequate sleep or having a power nap during the day may make you more awake and help minimize general exhaustion, making you a more pleasant and friendly person to work with.
The more energy you have, the less likely you are to be a Gloomy Gus, and the more productive you will be with your coworkers. When working in a team, this advantage might be priceless.
Taking a power nap is out of the question for most of us; we're lucky to have time to have lunch somewhere else from our desks when we're checking emails and making plans for the rest of the day.
However, the advantages of a quick snooze are numerous and diverse. Using them has several benefits, including increased productivity, improved health, and a better quality of life.
How Does Sleep Affect Productivity at Work?
To perform at the top of your game, the Sleep Foundation recommends getting enough sleep. The following are some of the ways adequate sleep has an impact on one's ability to do their job:
Improved focus, concentration, and attentiveness
Fewer "microsleeps"
Fewer mistakes
Increased speed of response
Stress and rage at work are less likely to occur
Taking a Power Nap Is Good for Both the Individual and the Company
Allowing staff to take naps is a novel way to increase efficiency and well-being while lowering the likelihood of accidents.
It is also likely to improve a company's CSR profile, which benefits employer branding. Out-of-the-box thinking has been employed by "outsiders" who are already committed to laps.
Other than booking a conference room, others go to their automobiles or lounge areas to pretend to meditate. It would be ideal if businesses heeded the advantages of naps and offered spaces where employees could take a 10- to 20-minute snooze peacefully and frequently.
For this reason, the term "power nap" is commonly used to describe a short work break that lasts no more than 30 minutes to prevent entering a phase of deep sleep from which one often awakens feeling sluggish.
The Power Nap: In-Vogue and Productivity-Boosting
Taking a sleep has a considerable social stigma, particularly in Western countries that place a premium on outward looks.
For most people, mid-afternoon breaks are known as riposo, mesimeri, or siesta in Italy, Greece, or Spain. Sleeping wherever and whenever is seen as a sign of commitment to work in Japan, a behavior that shares some blurred borders with burnout and tiredness.
During the day, several Japanese executives use sleeping pods to get some shuteye. However, napping isn't an option in many settings. You won't find any location to do this in many workplaces.
You may replace a power sleep with some coffee. Nonetheless, you can also scroll through Facebook and other social media sites, frequently unintentionally, as a way to refocus the mind.
People are not superhumans, and our capacity to focus and get distracted determines how productive we can be. It's also worth noting that the benefits of pausing when browsing the web or taking a sleep are not the same.
How to Get the Best Power Nap in the Middle of the Day?
Consider taking a power nap to lower your stress levels at work and increase your output. The idea of taking a midday nap isn't for everyone, and some individuals find it difficult to sleep during the afternoon.
The optimal time to take a power nap is between 2 and 3 p.m. Here are some guidelines to help you make the most out of it:
Set a Timer
If you nap for 30 minutes or more, you may wake up tired or sluggish and find it difficult to sleep at night.
Reduce the Number of Distractions
Take a snooze in a quiet environment with your electronic gadgets turned off. Earplugs may be necessary to guarantee that you get your entire 15 minutes of shuteye.
Caffeine Intake Should Be Kept to a Minimum
Avoid consuming a lot of energy drinks or coffee early in the day if you want to wind down after lunch. When it comes to falling asleep, caffeine might keep you awake unless it is consumed immediately before you go to bed.
Take Time to Relax
If you're tired of sleeping on your desk or an office chair, try sleeping on an office sofa with a cushion under your head. You must have appropriate bedside support and a temperature conducive to restful sleep.
The Room Should Be Dimmed
Power sleep is made more difficult by too much light. Switch off the lights, then close the blinds, to have enough darkness that allows a restful nap.
Get Your Thoughts Out of Your Head
Keep your power sleep as stress-free as possible. Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes and convince yourself that this is the time you have set aside for yourself.
The rest of the day is yours to deal with any other issues or unfinished business that you may have.
Restart the Computer Slowly
After taking a power nap, some folks feel lethargic. Take your time to get your bearings, especially if you feel off.
It would be best to rub your arms and thighs and splash cold water on your face to get your body back in touch with itself. After that, you will be ready to take on the rest of the day with renewed vigor.
Make Sure You Don't Sleep for Too Long
Taking a power nap early in the day rather than later might improve your nighttime sleep. However, excessive daytime snoozing can disrupt sleep at night and contribute to insomnia.
Make sure your nap doesn't exceed 30 minutes for the most significant outcomes and take them before 3:00 p.m.
Wrapping Up
We hope that we have answered your burning question, 'do naps at work increase productivity?' Taking power naps can help your brain operate better, but taking them frequently or for lengthy periods might disrupt sleep.
Taking a sleep may lift your spirits, which in turn affects how you interact with others, such as coworkers and customers.
This is why you should consider purchasing the Hammock Under Desk for Office Napping HK01 from FlexiSpot since it can help you catch naps anytime you need. It's made of durable material, which makes it easy to fold and carry.
