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Take Naps at Work

nytimes.com

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Re: Take Naps at Work

#241

Post by twobyfour »

ksk wrote: post #236
twobyfour wrote: post #233

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A nap being a "necessity" doesn't necessarily mean that taking it at whatever time you want is a necessity. Take the nap before or after the release; or after service is restored. It's not that complicated. FWIW, I don't see why it would have to be either a perk or a necessity, rather than a potential productivity booster that shouldn't be mandatory but can be beneficial to both the employee and the company. I would…

>Take the nap before or after the release; or after service is restored. It's not that complicated. But if it is indeed a potential productivity booster, why would you skip the nap during service interruptions or product releases?

Because most people can still be productive without a nap, just marginally less productive. And in many cases time is money.

Unless your service interruption is lasting all day (in which case you have bigger problems), it's much better for the company to get the site back up in 10 minutes than to wait 30 minutes for you to finish your nap and then get it back up in 8 minutes. Especially if you're losing $10K in revenue (or more) for every minute of downtime.

Whereas the work you'll be doing once the service is back up can be done more efficiently or creatively or thoughtfully after a nap, but won't suffer from being pushed back half an hour.

Releases, well, that depends on your release process.

Re: Take Naps at Work

#242

Post by Accacin »

booleandilemma wrote: post #156
have_faith wrote: post #92

>Sleeping on the job is one of those workplace taboos — like leaving your desk for lunch What kind of company is it a taboo to leave your desk for lunch?

My company does this thing where all of the people in IT go out to get food together in sync, and then bring it back and eat in the conference room like it's a cafeteria and like they're back in school. I'm the only person who leaves the office during my lunch hour, alone. I get funny looks, and my coworkers sometimes ask me "where have you been?" It's a weird company culture and I'm not sure how much longer I'll be…

Wow, that's weird. I need the one hour break from my colleagues as with how our office is laid out it can get pretty busy and noisy and I can't listen to music all day.

Luckily where I work there's a small boating lake that I can walk around just across the road which is incredibly nice to walk around for half an hour every lunch time. It's also lucky that my colleagues all like to go alone for lunch too :D

Re: Take Naps at Work

#243

Post by dmalvarado »

amelius wrote: post #196
mrkipling wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked for a very small startup in London that embraced napping as part of their culture, some 8 years ago. It worked wonders (provided that you napped for 15-30 minutes at a time and didn't pass out for an hour or two). We even had a dark storage room with a sofa that was the designated nap area. Fast forward to the current day. That company no longer exists (it was acquired), but the co-founders went on to create…

How do you ensure that you sleep exactly 15-30 minutes, when falling asleep could take anywhere between 0-30 minutes?

I might be sleep deprived, but sometimes I'll go to the car for 15 minutes and be pulled out of a deep dream by the time the timer goes off.

Even if I don't fall asleep, just focus on your breathing, slow in slow out, and try to bring yourself back to that focus if your mind ever wanders. You'll likely be more rested regardless of whether your actually fall asleep.

Re: Take Naps at Work

#245

Post by ravenstine »

notadoc wrote: post #222

I don't understand napping, never have. Are you really that tired that you must sleep in the middle of the day? Maybe you just need better rest at night, or maybe you need to exercise more or eat better food? Unless you're a toddler then napping feels like compensating for something else. To each their own, if it works for you that's great.

I do wonder the same thing. While I do need points in the day to just stop working and relax my brain, even daydream, I never feel the need for an actual nap. I have to wonder if diet and fitness have anything to do with it.

Re: Take Naps at Work

#246

Post by logicalmike »

notadoc wrote: post #222

I don't understand napping, never have. Are you really that tired that you must sleep in the middle of the day? Maybe you just need better rest at night, or maybe you need to exercise more or eat better food? Unless you're a toddler then napping feels like compensating for something else. To each their own, if it works for you that's great.

In my opinion, napping becomes more essential with hard training. Even with sleeping well every night, I still find myself napping almost daily.

Re: Take Naps at Work

#247

Post by aluhut »

urethrafranklin wrote: post #231
aluhut wrote: post #55

I'm pretty sure that it wouldn't be allowed where I work. Even though it's an US company, it's being led by Germans and in some offices they will already complain if you eat too long. "Take Naps at Work. Apologize to No One." would be a pretty dangerous statement there.

That's quite odd. All the Germans I know are fastidious about getting proper breaks/time off/holidays/etc.

Yes this is true. However, a break is not sleeping. This is Germany here. Your break starts at 12:00! You have time to eat in that time. Maybe dump a part of it afterwards and then go back to your desk by 12:30. Misusage of your desk as bed will not be tolerated! Hier herrscht Recht und Ordnung!!!11elf

Seriously, since I wrote this, I really thought about what may happen if I try. I thought maybe some people would be too polite to wake me up. Others may try to call me but I know at least one that would kick my door in just to see my shocked face. It would cause some talk for sure. I see things going this way: "Aluhut is not getting enough sleep at home...maybe he has some trouble with his girl" or "...he's partying through the whole night! I'm sure about that!". Whatever it might be in the end, I'm pretty sure it would all focus on the fact that I've done something wrong causing me not to be fit for work.

Re: Take Naps at Work

#248

Post by gurkendoktor »

peterburkimsher wrote: post #69

Lunchtime naps are common in Taiwan. Someone will turn off the light in the office at the start of the lunch break, and turn it back on at the end. That change of lighting encourages everyone to take a rest or leave, because staying will disturb the people who want to rest. It also saves a little electricity, I suppose.

I've only experienced this in a university, not in an office, but it was really easy to fall asleep when everyone around you does the same (even easier than alone, IMHO).

Re: Take Naps at Work

#249

Post by tjt »

amelius wrote: post #196
mrkipling wrote: post #193

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I worked for a very small startup in London that embraced napping as part of their culture, some 8 years ago. It worked wonders (provided that you napped for 15-30 minutes at a time and didn't pass out for an hour or two). We even had a dark storage room with a sofa that was the designated nap area. Fast forward to the current day. That company no longer exists (it was acquired), but the co-founders went on to create…

How do you ensure that you sleep exactly 15-30 minutes, when falling asleep could take anywhere between 0-30 minutes?

When you get into some routine it's pretty predictable. I like the pzizz app for timing and nap enhancement.

Re: Take Naps at Work

#250

Post by BatFastard »

mrkipling wrote: post #193
rectang wrote: post #13

For the last 8 years at work, I napped for 12-40 minutes basically every afternoon. I headed out into the parking lot and slept in the back of my car. (I bought the model I own after testing to make sure the back was nappable.) My most productive, creative time was the hour or two in the late afternoon following the nap. All my co-workers knew the deal and so did my boss. Nobody else napped, but my napping was normal…

I worked for a very small startup in London that embraced napping as part of their culture, some 8 years ago. It worked wonders (provided that you napped for 15-30 minutes at a time and didn't pass out for an hour or two). We even had a dark storage room with a sofa that was the designated nap area. Fast forward to the current day. That company no longer exists (it was acquired), but the co-founders went on to create…

Its all part of learning to listen to your body. My body tells me when it needs a nap, my thinking process gets cloudier, I have a harder time focusing. Time for a nap!

I can usually go to sleep with 5 minutes, if I can't, then I don't need a nap!

I set a timer for 20 minutes and get up when it goes off regardless. Sleeping for 30 minutes or more makes me feel tired when I wake up, and takes much longer to recover.

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