Use neuroscience to convince your boss to let you nap at work
A nap can be a beautiful thing when we feel our brain slowly grinding to a halt. Whether it’s a siesta to shake off a food coma, a daytime doze on a lazy Sunday, or an all-out nap orgy with friends or loved ones, we arise feeling replenished, recharged, and ready to take action.
Unfortunately, not very many bosses see any correlation between snoring and success. Only a handful of organization—Ben & Jerry’s, Nike, Zappos, Google, and The Huffington Post, to name a few—currently see naps as smart business. They’ve invested in nap pods and massage chairs because they know that, when it comes to boosting productivity and creativity in the workplace, naps can be just what the doctor ordered.
If you aren’t among the lucky few who work for nap-friendly bosses, you’ve come to the right place for advice. I’m a Harvard Medical School neuroscientist who firmly believes in the power of the unfocused mind, and my goal is to have every business on Earth — including your employer — embrace naps as a vital part of the workday.
The neurology of naps
First, allow me to clarify a few things and offer a bit of a disclaimer.
Not all naps are equal, and not all brains are equal. Everyone will respond differently to napping, as some brains are more energy-efficient than others. For instance, a 15-minute catnap might give Sally the salesperson three extra hours of battery life, but it will only provide Mary the marketer with one extra hour of productivity.
Science also offers us some words of caution. Unhealthy napping habits may increase the risk of diabetes, muscle aches, and heart disease. People who use long, frequent naps as a substitute for sleep, for example, seem to get ill more often.
On the other hand, strategic napping is scientifically proven to provide countless benefits. To get your boss on board, approach him or her with these three compelling science-backed arguments:
1. Naps will re-engage our team
Employee disengagement has officially become an epidemic in America, with Gallup’s 2017 State of the American Workplace Report revealing that 51 percent of today’s workforce members are disengaged from their jobs. Chances are good that your employer’s no exception to this trend.
Your boss is probably trying to re-engage the team by preaching (and rewarding) immense focus and tireless, around-the-clock hard work. However, you need to explain to him or her that the human brain operates at its best when it’s encouraged to oscillate between focus and unfocus.
Though naps may not seem very engaging, brain science tells us a vastly different story. While you’re asleep, your brain’s focus circuits get some much-needed rest, but believe it or not, other parts of your brain kick into overdrive. In fact, the brain consumes more energy during a nap than it does while you’re awake — and the bulk of this energy is devoted toward regions that promote self-awareness and emotional control. Therefore, naps don’t just help us think better; they help us feel better (especially morning naps).
A well-rested focus circuit, paired with a greater sense of self, is a recipe for engagement in the workplace. All it takes is five to 15 minutes per day.
2. Naps will help us innovate
In today’s ever-changing business world, innovation is what keeps companies afloat. Creative energy must flow through every department, and it’s up to your boss to foster an atmosphere that encourages this.
Perhaps he or she bought beanbag chairs, ping-pong tables, and colorful artwork in an attempt to stimulate creative thought, but few things come close to sparking creativity like a nap does. Explain to your boss that naps will help your team navigate complex tasks, sharpen its thinking, and keep a keen eye on its competition. Naps drop drawbridges between seemingly disconnected thoughts and allow for new insights to emerge.
Keep in mind, however, that in order to reap the full creative benefits of napping, it’s best to devote 90 minutes to each snooze. This may require a rejiggering of the workday; perhaps your company could lengthen its lunch break to promote midday napping, and then extend its office hours a bit to make up for it.
Napping helps people freshen up their ideas and gain sudden, unexpected insights. On a companywide basis, they can give a business just the creative edge it needs to thrive.
3. All the cool kids are napping
It’s no coincidence that some of the world’s most endearing and innovative companies were among the first to embrace napping as a viable business strategy. This is the wave of the future, and your boss will be in great company if he or she hops aboard today. Current and prospective employees will be thrilled by the idea of working in a progressive environment that mirrors the likes of Google.
But it also goes beyond business. Some of the world’s most inspiring minds were also known nappers. Salvador Dalí, Ludwig van Beethoven, Aristotle, Albert Einstein, and Thomas Edison power-napped their way to universal reverence, and even presidents Kennedy, Reagan, and Clinton were fans of the practice.
If your boss still doesn’t see napping as legit, sign and circulate this nap petition amongst your co-workers. It will give your group even more cred, and your boss may be more open to listening.
Strategic napping is productivity in disguise — and it’s time for your boss to recognize this fact. Thanks to science, we can now unmask the hidden benefits of naps and bring a whole new meaning to “sleeping on the job.”
Srini Pillay, M.D., is the CEO of NeuroBusiness Group and the award-winning author of numerous books, including “Tinker Dabble Doodle Try: Unlock the Power of the Unfocused Mind,” “Life Unlocked: 7 Revolutionary Lessons to Overcome Fear,” and “Your Brain and Business: The Neuroscience of Great Leaders.” He also serves as an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and teaches in the Executive Education Program at Harvard Business School.
