8 Benefits of Power Naps at Work
Remember when life was a lot simpler as a child? The only concern you really had in life was what time your favorite cartoon came on and who's going to win the war between two toys when you got out of school. While it may not have been your favorite activity as a kid, nap time was part of the routine in the early years.
Now that we're all grown up, we have to wake up at sunrise, work hard all day, then come home and fall in the floor from exhaustion. We've all thought about it. Let's face it: a midday power nap could go a long way these days.
Have you considered letting your employees take a power nap at work? There are many benefits to promoting this practice, and here are a few.
They Provide a Much Needed Energy Boost
You're seeing the warning signs that your employees are tired. They're showing up to work earlier and leaving later. After work, they'll try to cram in an activity or two before going to bed to do it all over again. This type of grind can quickly wear down even the most rested employees. By providing a quick 15 to 20 minute power nap, you're giving their brain a break and allowing them to rest up and recharge for a few minutes. While it won't work miracles, a 15 or 20 minute nap will give employees the energy boost that they usually lose in the latter half of the day.
They Increase Productivity
Have you ever tried to learn how to carry out a new task when you're tired? It doesn't work too well, does it? After taking a power nap, you're more likely to be productive. In fact, one study showed that a 25 minute power nap increased productivity by 34 percent. Wouldn't things be much better if they were done correctly the first time you asked?
Power naps have also been known to boost the memory of those who are lucky enough to take them. This could lead to reduced training time or time spent working and revising a project.
They Increase Your Overall Health
When we go to sleep, our body goes into repair mode. Our bodies repair themselves while we sleep, and we wake up feeling refreshed. By allowing a power nap at work, you're letting your employees get everything back on track. It also helps reduce the risk of death from heart disease. In a study of more than 23,000 people, those who took a nap at least three times a week had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from a heart-related condition. That's a huge difference!
They Boost Cognitive Functionality
In today's fast-paced world, creativity is everything. It's important, then, that your employees be on top of their game. They can't be on the top of their game if they're counting down the seconds until they get home and take a nap. By offering a power nap, you're giving them the chance to recharge their mental battery. If they rest more than 45 minutes, though, the benefits of a power nap dissipate, so it's important that they stay on a schedule. Just make sure that they stick to a strict napping schedule - there's no point in allowing employees to take a nap if it doesn't produce any benefits. You can help your employees with promotional items from your business, such as pocket planners andportable alarm clocks to keep track of their naps..
Taking a power nap allows you to approach your workload with a fresh mind, helping you to think outside of the box for an alternate solution to whatever is ailing you. A power nap could make the difference between a poorly planned marketing campaign and something going viral because it was executed at the most opportune time.
They Prevent Burnout
Let's face it. Work is monotonous. Doing the same thing over and over can get tiring. A power nap can break up that monotony. Without taking a nap, workers will end up frustrated and experience burnout. Naps offer u a chance to start over. The stress of the outside world goes away as you slip into an unconscious dreamland, and when you wake up, you're ready to tackle the world again.
They Improve Moods
People are grumpy. The work week is long; the hours are long, work can beat you down. A number of factors can play a role in it, but there's one undeniable fact: people are grumpy. A power nap can help! As mentioned above, stress tends to slip away when we nap, and so too does our angry moods. If there's a grumpy employee that's upset about something, you can literally tell him to go nap it off.
They Motivate You to Get Off the Couch and Exercise
It's a common excuse: you'd love to go to the gym and work your heart out, but you're just so exhausted throughout the day. Taking a power nap can give that extra boost during the day that'll carry you throughout the afternoon and leave you with enough in your reserves to hit the gym later in the day and improve your health.
They Help You Catch Up on Lost Sleep
When's the last time you had a good night's sleep? Or, rather, when's the last time you had a full night's sleep? Many of us wake up throughout the night for one reason or another - a bad dream, a noise startles us awake; the neighbor's dog won't shut up - whatever the case may be, it leads to a lot of lost sleep, which throws the body's metabolism out of alignment. Sleep deprivation could lead to serious diseases, such as the body being unable to efficiently utilize carbohydrates. Power naps help in this instance. Even though a power nap usually lasts less than half an hour, its effects are huge.
As you can see, there are many benefits for taking a power nap at work. Not only does it boost mental health, it can lead to a boost in physical health as well by giving the employee more energy so they can exercise at night. If you don't allow power naps at work, you may want to consider adding them in soon. If you do allow your employees to take power naps, have you noticed the benefits?
Author Bio:
Jane Miller is a freelance writer who loves to write about anything from tech to mommy stuff. She is featured in many blogs as a guest writer, and can write with authority on any niche or subject.
