Happy & Healthy

Why it is not a problem at all to fall asleep at work

My nephew had a job as a shelf stacker at sixteen and routinely spent two hours sleeping on the toilets every day. When he was kindly asked by the largest grocery store to sleep at home from now on, I wasn't surprised at all. After all, you are paid to roll up your sleeves, not to close your eyes.

But I turned out to be completely wrong. Richard Branson was recently at Sydney airport and decided to peek around the corner at his subjects on site. And what did he see there? A sleeping Virgin employee. Cool as he is, he took a ussie with himself and the sleeping slacker and remarked that the poor man needed his sleep.

A nap in between isn't so bad (read here for a moment). If your boss catches you while you're just checking the inside of your eyelids, you simply say this:

1. A nap is good for your brain

Twenty or forty minutes of sleep gives your brain an incredible boost. Scientific research has shown that a power nap increases your creativity and makes you much more productive. So you'll make up for that half hour later on.

2. It's better for your jet lag

Okay, you can only use this if you travel a lot for work, otherwise it makes no sense at all. But suppose you're flying to Japan tomorrow for a important meeting, then it's actually a very good idea to gather some sleep beforehand.

3. Well-rested employees like their boss more

A sleep professor at the University of Washington has researched that as a boss, it's better to grant your staff a good night's sleep than to make them work late again. Then people are more productive, happier, and they like you more. Bet that your boss will let you close your eyes for a bit later?