Do you sleep at work??
I don't.
What about you??
Companies awake to the benefits of sleep
By Rhymer Rigby
Most of us finding a colleague asleep at work would probably make a quip about laziness. Yet some companies take a very different stance on workplace napping.
At its Geneva offices, Procter & Gamble, the consumer products group, has three EnergyPods, which resemble loungers with a space-age half-dome wrapped over the headrest, made by a company called Metronaps.
"The pods are designed to provide users with a quick recharge that can help maximise the rejuvenating effects of a brief nap," Metronaps says. "This, in turn, helps users do more with their day from both a professional and personal point of view." The pods have proved very popular, especially with sleep-deprived employees such as those with young children and frequent business travellers.
Cisco Systems' new North Carolina offices boast a pair of pods too. "We're interested in employee wellbeing," explains Kirsten Weeks, community relations manager. The technology company has a variety of ways for people to recharge their batteries, she explains. "One of these is napping. Employees power-nap [for about 15 to 20 minutes] and come out refreshed...you can set the pod to vibrate to wake you up."
Other businesses that have installed EnergyPods include PwC and Google.
Companies are encouraging 40 winks, explains Metronaps co-founder Christopher Lindholst, because it "improves alertness, mood and makes you more productive and reduces stress". Health, he says, has three pillars – exercise, nutrition and sleep – and, while companies have traditionally taken an interest in the first two, they are only just waking up to the last.
"Sleep pods provide a feeling of security," Mr Lindholst says. "People feel that the outside won't bother them. You have a visor that blocks out light and music plays in the unit." He adds that 15-20 minutes is ideal as it refreshes you but does not send you into the deep rapid-eye-movement sleep that leaves you feeling groggy afterwards.
I don't.
What about you??
Companies awake to the benefits of sleep
By Rhymer Rigby
Most of us finding a colleague asleep at work would probably make a quip about laziness. Yet some companies take a very different stance on workplace napping.
At its Geneva offices, Procter & Gamble, the consumer products group, has three EnergyPods, which resemble loungers with a space-age half-dome wrapped over the headrest, made by a company called Metronaps.
"The pods are designed to provide users with a quick recharge that can help maximise the rejuvenating effects of a brief nap," Metronaps says. "This, in turn, helps users do more with their day from both a professional and personal point of view." The pods have proved very popular, especially with sleep-deprived employees such as those with young children and frequent business travellers.
Cisco Systems' new North Carolina offices boast a pair of pods too. "We're interested in employee wellbeing," explains Kirsten Weeks, community relations manager. The technology company has a variety of ways for people to recharge their batteries, she explains. "One of these is napping. Employees power-nap [for about 15 to 20 minutes] and come out refreshed...you can set the pod to vibrate to wake you up."
Other businesses that have installed EnergyPods include PwC and Google.
Companies are encouraging 40 winks, explains Metronaps co-founder Christopher Lindholst, because it "improves alertness, mood and makes you more productive and reduces stress". Health, he says, has three pillars – exercise, nutrition and sleep – and, while companies have traditionally taken an interest in the first two, they are only just waking up to the last.
"Sleep pods provide a feeling of security," Mr Lindholst says. "People feel that the outside won't bother them. You have a visor that blocks out light and music plays in the unit." He adds that 15-20 minutes is ideal as it refreshes you but does not send you into the deep rapid-eye-movement sleep that leaves you feeling groggy afterwards.
