上班时间打小盹能提高工作效率

I love sleeping. It's something I'm good at. There's nothing better than nodding off on the sofa in front of the TV and when my head hits the pillow at night, I have no problem falling into a deep sleep within minutes. There is one place where I never snooze and that's at work - but new research suggests I should!

 

The idea of you and your colleagues heading off for a lie down in the afternoon may seem odd, but some companies such as Google and the Huffington Post actually encourage it.

 

This isn't because their employees are insomniacs – people who struggle to get to sleep at night – but because it's thought that a power-nap makes them more refreshed and more alert, and this in turn makes them more productive. But will this idea catch on?

 

An Australian health writer called Thea O'Connor is a founder¹ of a campaign called Nap Now which is trying to make sleeping at work more acceptable. She calls herself a 'naptivist'! She says: "I think that our culture is a bit crazy not to embrace it… it's time to disrupt the prevailing² work ethic³ which is all about working longer and harder."

 

So should we all be taking a sleeping bag and pillow to work with us? A few years ago, research by the East of England Development Agency found 30% of people have their best ideas in bed compared to just 11% who have them at their desk. That suggests people are more creative when they are relaxed - and the agency has called for companies to install beds in the workplace.

 

A nap in the afternoon is nothing new. In certain hot countries, such as Spain, a short rest or sleep in the afternoon – called a siesta⁴ - is perfectly⁵ normal. But my problem with having 40 winks⁶ in the afternoon is that I usually fall into a deep slumber⁷.

 

But maybe we should break from the traditional nine-to-five work culture and embrace the siesta. The UK's Sleep Council claims the nine-to-five working day does not fit into the natural sleeping pattern of the human race and says that bosses need to introduce a more sleep-friendly working day.

 

What do you think? Would you feel comfortable going to sleep in the office - or do you secretly do it already?!

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