Ya Snooze, Ya Win

Vivacious Vicki on August 29, 2007 7:24 AM

Remember the episode on Seinfeld when Kramer had an innovative idea whereby everyone in his apartment building (or was it the city?) should wear nametags? Well, I thought it was actually a good idea especially as a Manhattanite and not even knowing my neighbors.

But alas, that's not the point of this blog. I have a similar idea that may sound kooky at first but hear me out: I think we should have naptime at work. Check that, we should definitely have naptime @ the office.

Okay, okay maybe not a specific time like 2 pm where everyone hits the deck but rather a room where there are a few couches in case you need a little powernap. Sure, some companies may have "sick" rooms where employees can get aspirin or medical attention but I'm talking about a quiet pastel room for pure hard core powernaps.

Totally serious. According to the National Sleep Foundation, sleep deprivation and sleep disorders are estimated to cost Americans over $100 billion annually in lost productivity, medical expenses, sick leave, and property and environmental damage. Let's think about that for a second: sleep deprivation equates to big bucks in lost productivity! Imagine if you're at your desk and completely not productive, energy is at an all-time low (not to mention cranky) and then you take a power nap for an hour to return to your desk refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

Assuming of course that employees don't take advantage of the downtime or the room itself, for responsible people who are focused on the job yet aren't sleeping well at night. As per a Sleep in America poll a few years ago, nearly one-third of American adults report sleeping less than seven hours each weeknight and nearly two-thirds of Americans don't get the recommended eight hours of sleep needed for good health, safety, and optimum performance. For jobs which require serious labor such as construction, driving, moving heavy machinery, I would think quality sleep is of utmost importance. After all, being alert on the job is key.

Just my two cents though I must sign off now as it's 12:45 am. It's way past my bedtime.

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