Need a nap at work? Some Japanese firms say that’s no problem and even have ‘strategic sleeping rooms’
- The spread of smartphones and other digital devices has been blamed for making people sleep fewer hours than before
Napping on the job is generally frowned upon, but a growing number of companies in Japan are offering new services and products to allow their employees to take a quick snooze at work to help manage their health and improve productivity.
Companies are creating special areas for short daytime naps and some have launched in-house seminars to explain the importance of sleep to employees. It coincides with the spread of smartphones and other digital devices, which have been blamed for making people sleep fewer hours than before.
“Sleep debt,” a phrase highlighting concern that a cumulative lack of sleep is harmful to health, was selected as one of Japan’s top buzzwords last year.
Start-ups such as information technology companies are among those at the forefront of the trend. Tokyo-based Nextbeat set up two so-called “strategic sleeping rooms” – one for female and one for male workers, this autumn at its offices and aims to eventually add more such rooms.
The IT service provider installed a device that can block surrounding sounds in the rooms, which contain sofas and aroma fragrances. Employees are forbidden from using personal computers or smartphones there.
Napping can produce favourable effects on work efficiency just as an appropriate diet and exercise can
The practice reflected the thinking of company board member Emiko Sumikawa that “napping can produce favourable effects on work efficiency just as an appropriate diet and exercise can”.
As part of the self-improvement measures, Nextbeat requests that its employees leave work by 9pm and that they not work overtime late into the night. The company also recognises 30-minute daytime naps as part of regular work hours.