Sleeping on the job

Most of us come up with our best ideas when we are about to nod off, says a study. So is it time the boss put beds in the workplace?

With longer working hours and shrinking lunch breaks, is it any surprise that stressed British workers find their bed a more creative space than the office?

Some 30% of people have their best ideas in bed compared to just 11% who have them at their desk, according to research by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).

It is calling for companies to install beds in the workplace, in an attempt to change the way we work for the better.

According to the authors of The Art of Napping At Work we live a “napaphobic culture”, but attitudes are changing and the bed could soon become part of the office furniture.

Bill and Camille Anthony say workers are “nap ready” and often sneak a snooze anyway. Making naps official is a win-win situation for all.

“Napping secretly in the workplace is already here but napping openly with the employer’s permission is a coming trend,” says Bill, a professor at Boston University.

“Napping is a natural, no-cost way to increase worker productivity. Companies can no longer keep their eyes closed to the epidemic of sleepiness on the job.”

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 26 May 2005
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.