Are you also familiar with that feeling of tiredness after lunch, when concentration wanes and eyelids feel heavy? Or the feeling of exhaustion caused by a poor quality sleep?

Rather than fighting this feeling, why not take a “powernap”.

This short nap, lasting between 5 and 20 minutes, has established itself as an effective tool for boosting energy and productivity at work!

What is a powernap?

The powernap, also known as a micro-nap, is a nap of up to 20 minutes. It enables you to stay in the early stages of sleep, known as “light” sleep.

This micro-snooze gives a quick boost to mind and body without disturbing nocturnal sleep.

The benefits of powernap according to science

The brain is a veritable powerhouse, but its capacity over the course of a day is limited. The prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making and concentration, is particularly vulnerable to cognitive fatigue.

The hectic pace of modern life leaves little room for rest.

Yet this short nap proves to be a simple, time-saving solution for recharging batteries, improving memory and reducing stress. Neuroscience has amply demonstrated that a powernap restores alertness, improves concentration and even promotes creativity.

A boost for performance & alertness

NASA research on pilots and astronauts has revealed that a 26-minute nap improves performance by 34% and alertness by 54%. Scientists explain that this break allows the brain to consolidate information and optimize cognitive efficiency.

These impressive results show just how much of an ally powernap can be in demanding work environments.

In the workplace, a power nap can also boost team productivity by increasing alertness and efficiency.

Stress reduction

Research from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that short naps have a positive impact on mood and levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Several studies point out that cortisol levels fall during these restorative breaks, reducing stress while improving emotional disposition. This contributes to greater resilience in the face of the day’s challenges, and prevents the build-up of stress over the long term.

A warm welcome to creativity

Research carried out by Harvard Medical School, in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab, indicates that the moments just before falling asleep (the sleep phase, or hypnagogia) are conducive to creativity.

In this semi-lucid phase, the brain begins to generate creative connections by combining various ideas and memories in innovative ways, which may explain why powernaps boost inventiveness.

According to the researchers, light sleep enables the brain to associate different concepts, an essential process for solving complex problems. This is often referred to as the Eureka effect, a great asset in certain professional contexts.

 

Bosses should sanction the nap rather than expect workers to power on all day without repose.

They might even find that workers’ happiness – or what management types refer to as ’employee satisfaction results’ – might improve.

– Tom Hodgkinson

 

From beta to alpha

This renewed creativity can also be explained by brainwave theory. Neuroscience has identified four types of brainwaves:

  • beta: in an awake state, when the mind is alert
  • alpha: when, with eyes closed, the mind is in a calm, relaxed state. Alpha waves can occur during wakefulness or in the initial phase of sleep
  • theta: these brain waves are associated with light sleep
  • delta: generated by the brain during deep, restorative sleep

The reason why micro-naps can increase productivity is the shift from beta to alpha waves. These alpha waves are associated with enriched brain functions, such as increased levels of cognition and creativity.

A nap of more than 30 minutes will induce theta waves, which can make you feel confused, heavy & groggy when you wake up – the famous “hangover” after a long nap.

For a micro-nap to be beneficial, you don’t even need to fall asleep – it’s enough to close your eyes for twenty minutes and allow your mind to calm down.

pause en entreprise

A micro-nap requires minimal effort for maximum effect

Research shows that those who regularly take powernaps have higher levels of productivity, concentration and job satisfaction. They are also less likely to make mistakes.

The advantages of powernaps are many, but beyond the individual benefits, it’s also a practice that can improve team dynamics.

A well-rested employee is not only more effective and creative, but also more collaborative and resilient in the face of stress, and therefore better able to interact positively and usefully with colleagues.

 

Dear nap,
I’m sorry I hated you when I was little.

Today I miss you…

Powernap in the corporate world

In the modern professional world, the pressure to perform constantly can become overwhelming. In Western countries, rest at work is still too often seen as a waste of time or a sign of laziness.

Welcome to China & Japan

This is not the case in other parts of the world. The right to nap is included in the Chinese Constitution, while in Japan, napping is ideologically accepted and even strongly recommended by some companies. It’s called “inemuri”, which literally means “to be asleep while being present”.

Closed office doors at Wakefit

The Indian company Wakefit is imposing micro-naps on its staff. The company, which specializes in online mattress sales (coincidence?!), has officially blocked its employees’ schedules every early afternoon.

Between 2pm and 2:30pm, no appointments are accepted so that everyone can take a nap. A ritual the company has designated “The Official Nap Time”.

Nike: who sleeps, is at his best!

If rest is as important as training for professional athletes, why shouldn’t it be for company staff?

Conclusion: Nike has set up quiet areas for employees in its central offices in Oregon. There, they can rest or meditate during the day. Just do it!

The Huffington Post’s EnergyPods

Arianna Huffington, founder of the online news site HuffPost, collapsed from exhaustion in 2007. Since then, she has made sleep a priority and has worked to normalize napping in the workplace by creating nap spaces within HuffPost. These nap spaces are equipped with devices called EnergyPods, specially designed to offer employees a private and relaxing space to nap at work.

Ben & Jerry provides the pillows

«We care about our employees’ quality of life, and providing a dedicated nap space and time for napping is just another way we take care of our employees,” explains a representative from Ben & Jerry’s in Burlington, Vermont.

The company, which offers yoga classes as well as personal coaching to employees while encouraging them to bring their pets to work, also provides a room with a bed and pillows for employees to use if they wish.

If people need a little nap to

do the best job possible,

we encourage them to do it.

– Ben & Jerry

 

Micro breaks at the office : also in Belgium!

Colruyt Group invests significantly in the personal growth of its employees. According to Liesbeth Van Hoorick, Head of Personal Growth, “If all our employees evolve, our company will evolve too.”

A space for silence and rejuvenation is available for employees who want to take a break with futon mattresses for a comfortable powernap.

sieste au bureau - pause en entreprise - pauze op kantoor - naps at work

Not so easy to practice those office breaks ?

Taking a nap during the working day doesn’t seem so easy for everyone, though… For some, the mind remains very active, even restless. They’d rather carry on working with little energy than give napping a real chance.

That’s why it’s so important to have the right support to ensure that you get the most out of your nap. The “POWERNAPworkshop we offer in small groups enables you to learn a proven technique for releasing muscular tension and relaxation, which is highly effective and practical to apply on your own afterwards.

The transition from beta to alpha brainwaves is thus facilitated, to make the most of the short break an employee may take. Listening to the audio files that participants receive at the end of the workshop helps them to make a success of each power nap, and draw maximum energy from it for the rest of their day!

Yoga@Office can also help you design and transform wellness areas in a dedicated room of your company. As well as facilitating powernaps, they can be used in a multifunctional way for other wellbeing activities.

 

Ready to recharge your employees’ batteries?

Then get in touch with us!

We’d be delighted to discuss how to pamper your teams.

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