{"id":4428,"date":"2013-10-02T07:17:29","date_gmt":"2013-10-02T14:17:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.dlvr.it\/?p=4428"},"modified":"2026-03-30T20:37:39","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T03:37:39","slug":"5-perks-of-sleeping-on-the-job-and-how-it-might-just-save-businesses-billions-a-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dlvrit.com\/blog\/5-perks-of-sleeping-on-the-job-and-how-it-might-just-save-businesses-billions-a-year\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Perks of Sleeping on the Job and How it Might Just Save Businesses Billions a Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Sleep<\/a>Eighty-three percent<\/strong> of Americans do not get a good night\u2019s sleep<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Those who study sleep patterns have found the main causes of this sleep deprivation epidemic to be stress, anxiety and pain<\/strong>. \u00a0Those are certainly my top three reasons for a restless night along with being woken by my scratching cat that wants to be let out for a three a.m. stroll. Other, less prevalent, reasons include the inability to turn off thoughts (a symptom of anxiety), being overtired, background noise, children and, alarmingly, difficulty breathing.<\/p>\n

\n

Sleep deprivation<\/strong> is now costing U.S. companies $63.2 billion a year in lost productivity<\/strong>. Exhaustion makes employees less efficient, even in performing simple tasks such as reading email. Additionally, they have a negative influence on the work environment, as they are also generally more irritable and more likely to explode.<\/em><\/p>\n

Harvard Medical School, 2013<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

<\/span>One simple fix: Institute an OK to nap policy in your workplace<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Google, Nike and the Huffington Post do it. \u00a0Historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Napoleon Bonaparte and Thomas Edison napped as well. There must be a good reason they are such strong advocates of napping and consider it a workplace necessity, not just a perk.<\/p>\n

\"napping\"<\/a><\/p>\n

It is not a badge of honor to work under the stress of sleep deprivation. My husband has been touting the benefits of a mid-day nap for years. He would just close his office door and turn off the lights \u2013 pretend he was not home. \u00a0If he could, I\u2019m sure he would have installed a couch and put out a do not disturb sign on his door. Napping did not affect his productivity but was an issue for his troglodyte boss, who, himself, dozed off during afternoon meetings. Here\u2019s an interesting \u201cwould you rather game\u201d for managers:<\/p>\n

Mr. Boss, would you rather have,<\/strong><\/p>\n

(a) \u00a0An employee who is alert, has quicker cognitive memory processing, thinks creatively and lower than average blood pressure, or<\/strong>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0(b) \u00a0An employee who is lethargic, slow to grasp facts, places and people, makes frequent errors and under a higher amount of stress<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would hope most would pick employee A. \u00a0It is scientifically proven that napping offers many workplace and home benefits for healthy adults<\/a>, including:<\/p>\n