If you’re not familiar with the Google culture, one of the things they offer to employees is the opportunity to take “power naps.” There have been some studies that indicate taking a daytime nap can recharge the brain and be very productive for learning.
I’m not sure how many businesses besides Google are going to embrace this concept. I mean, for Pete’s sake, if we can’t get companies to loosen up the dress code, power naps seems pretty far-fetched.
But it does raise some questions about sleep. And the importance of sleep for our well-being.
We currently spend a lot of time talking about our time management, stress management, diet and exercise. What about our sleeping habits? Certainly sleep 
factors heavily into our overall health.
The Huffington Post recently reviewed a book by Tony Schwartz called “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working“. The premise of the book? The most important factor in our productivity is our ability to renew our personal energy. In this fast-paced, always-on world we operate in, we have to find time to recharge.
The way we recharge? Sleep.
I haven’t read Tony’s book; it sounds very intriguing. I think sleep is a very personal thing. We all have different requirements. But the conversation about sleep made me realize I need to understand my sleep requirements just like my diet, exercise and work preferences.
- How much sleep do I need to be productive?
- What kind of sleep environment works best for me (i.e. pillows, room temperature, etc.)?
- What happens if I don’t get enough sleep or proper rest?
It’s naïve to think that we can live without sleep or just sleep anywhere and still be productive. We might be able to do that for a day or two. Then the impact of not getting proper rest will catch up with us.
Part of being a good manager and leader is knowing ourselves. Assessing how sleep impacts our personal energy and our working relationships should be a part of that equation.
Image courtesy of dphiffer
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Benjamin McCall says
Sleep and I have a very close relationship and I am a firm believer in naps!
Pat Wood says
I love my sleep, but definitely don’t have the best sleep cycle and normally I’m not a nap person unless I got a ridiculously small amount of sleep the night before. I am quite interested in different sleep cycles people use and how effective they are ( such as sleep for 20 min ever 4 hours) I don’t think I could pull some of them off, but it’s still quite interesting. While I don’t think that I could power nap at my office, it’s still something to look into since there’s only a handful of people working here.
Sara says
I love to sleep and I know I don’t get enough of it. I also feel when I don’t get a proper night’s sleep when I am dragging at work. My production is very low and reaction times even slower when I’m tired. Not being a morning person doesn’t help the situation either.
Ginger says
I have always been intrigued by those “Google power naps,” in fact…I’m just intrigued by power naps in general. I don’t understand. I have read the studies, seen friends do it, hear it’s a good idea, etc…but – once I’m asleep, anything less than a couple hours is just going to make me cranky and unpleasant. :-/
You know what I do like? The Google goats. Makes me smile.
Heather says
Very timely article for me to read! I have not been sleeping very well lately, and it does have an effect on me during the day.
I find I get frustrated much quicker and cannot wait for the workday to end so I can go home.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks so much for the comments!
@Benjamin – Naps rule!
@Pat – Sleep cycles would be interesting…I couldn’t do the 20 minute thing.
@Sara – I’m a morning person…ha!
@Ginger – It’s a fact. The Google Goats are cute. 😉
@Heather – Me too. Lack of sleep does contribute to my frustration level.
working girl says
Rockefeller swore by his daily nap. And the Japanese have perfected this art – it’s not uncommon for the most important guy in the room to close his eyes while someone else is speaking and start snoring gently.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment. I’m not sure I want to test the snoring in meetings part…ha!
amanda says
I wouldn’t be against this but naps aren’t naps unless they last an hour at least.. By the time you get through the first 3 stages of sleep it takes you 40 minutes and to actually regenerate your braind in REM you have to be asleep for some time so, I like the idea but I don’t know if people and businesses could do it.
Sharlyn Lauby says
Excellent point about the science of sleep. Thanks for sharing!
Caroline says
I’ve had jobs/times in college when I had to go with little to no sleep, and it severely affected my performance. I was in a sorority, a collegiate athlete, a newspaper design editor, and an honors student, and I can tell you that my freshman and sophomore year were just terrible when it came to my energy, my mind, and disposition. Then, one day I just said, “no more.” I was as productive as I could possibly be during the day, dropped some activities (as hard as that was) and took care of myself, meaning getting enough rest– and I was SO much happier! I wasn’t so emotional, I could get through the day without falling asleep in class, and I performed better in school. I will never pull an all-nighter again– and I’m a law student now! Sometimes, you just have to say, “enough!”
Sharlyn Lauby says
Thanks for the comment Caroline. I’m not a fan of all-nighters either. I’ve found being super organized allows me to do the activities I want and still find time for sleep.