Has your boss caught you sleeping on the clock again? It turns out you're not alone.
According to a study conducted by The Sleep Doctor, 1 out of every 3 full-time workers surveyed reported taking a nap at least once a week during work hours.
The study found that 46% of people nap during work occasionally throughout the year, with 33% napping weekly, 6% daily, 18% several times a week, and 9% once a week. All this napping is causing some people to miss meetings and deadlines, so needless to say, if your boss reads this study, they may not be too happy about it.
Of course, the location of where you work does matter, as the study found that those who work from home, unsurprisingly, are more likely to nap. It also turns out that men (52%) tend to nap more than women (38%), and the same goes for younger generations; among workers ages 18 to 34, 54% nap, while 46% of workers ages 35 to 54 nap, and only 25% of workers over 55 nap.
But why does this happen?
Most full-time workers (77%) said they lose sleep due to stress, like balancing work and personal life, causing them to be more tired during the day; while some are just influenced by boredom, the study notes.
“Napping can absolutely help you recover from poor sleep the previous night,” explains Dr. Michael Breus, Sleep Doctor's clinical psychologist and sleep medicine expert. “There’s actually data to show even a seven-minute nap can make a difference, and a NASA study showed that napping increased alertness.”
But beyond needing to be more alert, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does emphasize that lack of sleep at night also raises the chances of chronic health issues such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke compared to those who are getting seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
And while naps are great, Dr. Breus recommends cutting caffeine after 2 p.m., exercising daily but not before bedtime, and skipping alcohol within three hours of bedtime for better stress management and better sleep.
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