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Corporate Naptime?
I wish my high school had been this progressive. Sure we have now seen later start times in some US schools but Japan has got it right.
“Dozing teenagers at Meizen high school are more likely these days to find their teachers dimming the lights, putting on classical music and joining their students for a power nap.”
Meizen High, last year became the first school in the nation to promote mental alertness by officially encouraging all students to take 15-minute naps in their classrooms after lunch. The nap craze is actually catching on.
In the past few years, “nap salons” , have popped up in Japan’s major cities. For about $4.50 you can take a 20-25 minute nap wash your face and get back to work.
The Japanese have gotten the nap down to a science. Here are their secrets:
- Naps should not last more than 30 minutes, lest they fall into a deeper sleep and awake feeling more groggy than refreshed.
- Department stores and catalogues now sell “desk pillows.”
- Some Japanese companies have successfully pressed to have nap salon fees covered by health insurance providers, while others are endorsing something long unthinkable here — in-office napping.
“People are realizing that our lack of sleep is actually slowing us down,” Uchimura said, adding that Japanese workers get an average of between five and six hours of sleep a night. “To be in top shape well into the evening hours at the office, you need to take a nap.”
Related Topics: Nap Quest, The Power of Napping
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