Working at Koala has many benefits, and one of them is the sometimes hilarious amount of functional beds found across the workplace, and that we are allowed naps at work (in the designated nap pods).
Naps are actually good for you, and before you head off to your nearest HR Manager demanding nap time, here’s a few benefits for your employer allowing naps at work.
You’ll Work More
We currently live in a society of 24/7. We work so much, go out to relax, and when we settle into bed, we work some more. We’re a society in massive sleep debt, and it’s not really getting any better. In fact, inadequate sleep has cost the Australian Economy $66.4 billion in the 2017 financial year. That’s billion with a b.
In the 2016 Sleep Health Foundation “Sleep Health Survey of Australian Adults“, 17% of Aussies admitted to missing at least 1 day of work in the past 4 weeks due to being too sleepy, or having a sleep related issue. Skipping work due to sleep issues was most common in those 18-24 years of age (27%), and 24-35 years of age (30%).
Being too sleepy also reduces time at work with 14% of men, and 21% of women report being late to work from sleeping in, and 21% of men, and 13% of women reported falling asleep at work.
By allowing a much needed 20 minute power nap for employees after lunch allows them time to reenergise, catch up on an missed Z’s while also not interfering with their nighttime sleep.
You’ll Work Better
When people feel sleepy at work, they have a coffee, get a buzz, and get back to work. As Dr Fiona Kerr, University of Adelaide’s Neural and Systems Complexity Specialist said “it [napping] increases alertness and creativity, motor performance, gives you stamina, lifts your mood, improves problem-solving and allows your cognitive function to pick up. When people drink coffee when they’re tired, yes you feel alert but your memory suffers and you make more mistakes. People often confuse alertness for awareness.”
In fact, the Sleep Health Foundation found that “errors at work from sleepiness or sleep problems are also common, with 20% reporting errors on 1-2 days in the past 3 months, and 9% on 3 or more days. Again this was more common in younger adults, with around half of 18-34y reporting errors at work from sleep problems at least 1-2 days in the past 3 months.”
Instead of employees going out for a half an hour twice a day to get a caffeine induced pick-me-up, allowing an afternoon nap has already been proven to “significantly improve[d] alertness and cognitive performance” almost immediately after waking up.
Another study by the University of Sheffield found that people who napped for 45-60 minutes a day improved their memory by fivefold,
With the threat of losing clients, losing revenue, and losing momentum for projects at risk, the benefit of naps is substantial.
About the writer
Bernice is the Growth Marketer for Australia at Koala. Here for over 1.5 years at Koala, she manages the affiliate program, referral program, influencer campaigns, content strategy, and bedroom growth initiatives.
Email: b.abuan@koala.com
IG: @bunnybernice
The post Why Naps Should Be Allowed At Work appeared first on Habitat.
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