Have you ever slept on the job? Maybe you didn’t catch your requisite eight hours of shut-eye the night before or a monotonous task has you feeling extra drowsy. While you might be inclined to judge yourself for wanting to catch a quick nap in the staff break room, new data shows that you’re far from alone in your dreamy desires.
In fact, as many as one in five employees reportedly nap at work, according to a survey conducted by bed-in-a-box retailer Amerisleep. The mattress brand recently polled 1,000 adults between the ages of 18 and 75 to discover exactly what kinds of employees like to snooze at work and the answers might just surprise you.
As it turns out, the industry that saw the most catnaps from its workers was Technology, with 70% of employees reporting that they slept during the work day. Following closely behind were Construction workers at 68%, Government employees at 63.5% and Finance workers at a cool 60%. On the other end of the spectrum, the fields with the most alert workers were the Arts (35%) and the Service industry (39%).
And if you’re wondering where all these tired folks catch their forbidden Zzz’s, the most popular nap destinations are apparently meeting rooms, personal vehicles and, in the most dire situations, even one’s desk.
THE MAGIC OF NAPPING
While these percentages might at first seem high, they begin to make sense when you consider the general restlessness going on in the world right now. Study after study highlights the ever-growing problem of sleep deprivation across cultures and demographics, zoning in on a singular truth: We’re not getting enough sleep.
So what’s to be done? If this survey is any indication, the answer might be as simple as taking sleep whenever you can get it. Short naps in particular have been shown to boost cognitive abilities and make people feel happier. They’ve also been known to increase work productivity, reduce anxiety and lower blood pressure.
Now, listen… we’re not advocating for you to take naps at work (unless your company says it’s okay, in which case get thee to sleep!), but what we are saying is that it’s important for you to prioritize your slumber. For you, maybe that means going to bed earlier at night or moving through a few relaxing yoga poses before bed. All in all, it’s about finding out what works for you and sticking to it!