Bosses think we’re being lazy when, in fact, we are just trying to be more productive using some shut-eye.
A new study has found that daily naps can help us improve the size of our brains as we get older. Brains tend to shrink as we age.
The study, published in the journal “Sleep Health” and based on an analysis of data from 378,932 people aged 40-69 in the UK, found a connection between larger total brain volume and more frequent napping. Previous research has shown that napping may improve our memory, concentration, creativity, and performance while reducing stress and anxiety.
That raises an important question: what’s stopping everyone from taking daily naps? The answer, of course, is the presence of certain individuals in our lives known as ‘bosses’. Bosses do not like it when we take naps. They think we’re being lazy, when in fact, we are just trying to be more productive.
Boss: “Hey, hey, hey! Were you just taking a nap?”
Me: “Yes, it helps me work better. It improves my memory, concentration, creativity, and performance.”
Boss: “Okay, but don’t do it again! Sleeping on the job is against the rules.”
It’s not just bosses at work who keep us from napping. It’s also bosses at home. If you’re married, you know what I mean. I’m not just saying that wives sometimes boss over husbands or husbands boss over wives, I’m also saying that wives boss over wives, and husbands over husbands. Just ask Pete Buttigieg if he’s ever allowed to nap.
The mere presence of a spouse (or significant other) in the house often gets in the way of a guilt-free nap.
Chasten: “Pete, why are you lying down?”
Pete: “Just taking a quick nap. I’m sleepy.”
Chasten: “A nap??? But we were supposed to go to the gym. Can’t you take a nap after we go to the gym?”
Pete: “I won’t be sleepy after we go to the gym.”
Chasten: “Problem solved then.”
But even if you have a spouse who isn’t keen on naps, you can usually sneak in a nap on weekends – or whenever you have a day off work. The real challenge is sneaking in a nap while you’re at work.
Most employers, unfortunately, do not recognize our constitutional “right to nap.” They do, however, recognize our “right to eat.” At a minimum, we get 30 minutes for lunch. That’s enough time for a quick nap. But given the choice between eating and napping, most people would rather have a bigger stomach than a bigger brain.
What we need is a designated nap time. That’s what Wakefit Solutions, an Indian company that sells mattresses, beds and other furnishings, introduced last year. Wakefit co-founder Chaitanya Ramalingegowda sent an email to employees telling them that they would be granted the “right to nap” from 2 to 2.30 p.m. This time slot would be blocked off as “official nap time” on employee calendars.
I’m so envious of Wakefit employees. If I wrote the words “nap time” on a calendar at my workplace, “nap time” would soon become “boss-in-your-face time.”
I’d have to tell my boss about all the scientific research on the benefits of napping, including the work of Dr. Mattie Toma, an assistant professor at Warwick University in England. Toma conducted research among low-income urban workers in India and found that half-hour afternoon naps improved their attention, well-being and productivity.
I don’t know if my boss will ever let me nap at work. But perhaps I can persuade him to give me some time for daily prayer.
“Dear God,” I would say, “thank you for giving me this time to close my eyes and take a quick nap. If my boss happens to disturb me, please turn him into a pillar of salt.”
