Why Indian companies need nap rooms at work
An afternoon siesta makes good business sense, a study shows. Are businesses listening?
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Do you struggle to stay awake after lunch? That rice in the lunchbox may not be the only culprit. Catching forty winks at work will do a world of good not just for your health, but also for workplace efficiency.
Globally, companies are realising the impact of well-rested employees and introducing nap rooms in their offices. Google, Uber, Nike and Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) are some of the leading companies that provide facilities for their employees to get some shuteye at work.
Here are five good reasons for Indian companies to set up nap rooms:
Employees are sleeping less. Globally, on an average, an adult sleeps around 6.8 hours per night on weekdays—much less than the recommended eight hours of sleep each night. A majority of adults admit that the lack of sleep has a moderate to major impact on efficiency at work.
Research shows that lost sleep at night can be remedied with an afternoon nap. Taking a power nap for 20-30 minutes, even for well-rested people, is shown to have immediate results—it boosts short-term alertness and improves motor performance, memory, learning, and logical reasoning. A power nap can lead to better productivity in the workplace.
Today, in our highly competitive workplaces, technology has meant that the lines between work and personal life are blurring. It is not uncommon for employees to receive work requests at home, encroaching upon their personal lives. The survey shows that 31 percent of the respondents said that work-related stress and anxiety kept them awake at night.
Sleep deprivation is known to cause chronic fatigue and a host of health issues ranging from hypertension and cardiovascular disorders. Naptime for employees is shown to have a direct impact on their health, which could mean fewer days lost to sick leaves.
Naps make business sense. Not only do nap rooms at work increase productivity, they also augment employee morale and satisfaction. For the employers, this pays dividends in recruitment, retention and ultimately, the company’s bottom line.
Google has sleep pods in its offices for employees who want to take a quick snooze, while Nike’s headquarters in Portland has dedicated rooms where employees can sleep or meditate. IT company CISCO has designed comfy nap pods in its offices, while PwC has a sleek sleeping room in its Switzerland office. Uber too has adopted nap rooms across its offices.