Taking a power nap could be the answer to getting through the rest of your day.
We all know that feeling: the midday lull when your energy levels start to dip and your eyelids feel heavier. If you’re like most people, you power through with a cup of coffee or some sugary snacks. But what if there was a better way? Enter the world of a power nap.
In the 1990s, a sleep expert invented the term “power nap” to encourage people to take brief naps at work. A short, 20-30 minute nap can do wonders for your energy levels and productivity. According to the National Sleep Foundation, one of their studies discovered that a 40-minute nap enhances productivity by 34 percent. If you think about it, power naps at work could make employees more efficient and creative. And luckily, there are plenty of companies that are now encouraging employees to take power naps in the workplace. Some have even installed “nap pods” for their employees.
Here are five companies that let you take a power nap at work:
Zappos
Zappos is one of the most well-known online retailers and is also known for its workplace perks. One of those perks is the ability to take power naps at work! Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh has long supported the value of office naps and says that taking a 20-minute nap can help you be more effective during the day.
The company features a unique nap room. Instead of using regular pods, its Las Vegas headquarters includes massage chairs encircled by a custom-built aquarium called “The Tank”. The aquarium is 25 feet (ca. 8 m) long, 3,500 gallons (ca. 13 m³) in capacity, and contains fish and coral. Employees may lie back on massage chairs and watch fish swim through vivid coral reefs and gorgeous blue sea life. The calming presence of the aquarium intends to help employees relax and drift off to sleep.
At Google, napping is not only encouraged, but the company has even provided its employees with a special EnergyPod designed by a New York-based company MetroNaps. The EnergyPod is advertised as a device that employs NASA technology to provide its customers with a rejuvenating nap. It does this by enclosing the occupant in a personal space that shuts out any external stimulus. It also allows them to lie down in the best resting posture to promote optimal blood flow throughout their body. With the help of the EnergyPod, Google employees can power through their workday with renewed energy and focus.
Procter & Gamble
Procter & Gamble, the biggest consumer goods company, has a dedicated space for power napping at its offices. The nap rooms are equipped with EnergyPods by MetroNaps that look like recliners, and employees are welcome to use them for a quick nap during the workday. The pod has various features, such as a zero-gravity position, a privacy visor, specific sleep music and a mild wake sequence of lights and vibrations.
Ten years ago, when napping at work probably seemed like a ridiculous idea, Procter & Gamble started leading the way in making it more acceptable. Back in 2013, the company was planning to start a multi-week pilot program to help employees get better rest. They invited sleep expert Nancy Rothstein to its headquarters in Cincinnati to give a 50-minute presentation on tips for sleeping better. She emphasized the importance of staying away from screen devices an hour before bed, as they emit blue light that inhibits melatonin (sleep hormone) production.
The social media giant has installed “nap pods” where employees can take a quick power nap at work. And if you’re not into napping, don’t worry—the room also has couches and chairs for employees to relax in. The capsule-shaped nap pods designed by Podtime have sliding doors for discretion. The pods are made to keep noise to a minimum and include mattresses for employees to catch some shut-eye.
Hootsuite
This Vancouver-based social media firm encourages its employees to take power naps in their nap rooms. The nap room is designed with soothing images and blankets to allow the company’s “owls” to take a quick power nap.
Hootsuite CEO Ryan Holmes is aware of and appreciates the significance of good sleep. He is also comfortable with his staff doing so during business hours. In a LinkedIn post, Holmes shared that his workplace provides special nap rooms and sleeping pods for staff. He thinks that getting enough rest is critical to completing the task thoroughly and efficiently, and that sleep should be a top priority. According to Holmes, it’s not worth sacrificing your sleep for an extended period of time, no matter how urgent things may appear.
So there you have it—five companies that are totally cool with you taking power naps at work. If you work at any of these companies, consider yourself lucky. And if you don’t, maybe it’s time to start looking for a new job!
Also read:
- Practical Ways of Showing Your Employees You Care
- Sleep Deprivation and How Entrepreneurs Can Put it to Rest
- What Is SleepTech and Does It Work?
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