The cozy pillow popping from her company swag kit was an absolute delight. 

My friend sensed my curiosity and excitedly explained how her company promotes daily siestas, how they have comfy sleep pods, and how even the calendars of employees are blocked from 2 to 2.30 pm as the “hours of common silences”. 

Today’s workforce is primarily a young India that is acing the business and tech world with innovation and disruption but at the same time is burnt out and over-stressed. And for companies to be successful, the employees must be highly productive daily. But imagine this? Despite planning each day meticulously, we often grapple with ticking off that to-do list. You start the day all pumped up, but something kicks in around 1 PM. You feel groggy and not alert anymore. Welcome to the midafternoon sluggishness.

While we all know the importance of a deep sleep, the power of a nap has been historically ignored. As much as we would love to believe that humans are monophasic (sleep only once a day) sleepers, research indicates that we function better as biphasic sleepers (sleeping two times per day), including the popular ‘siesta’ or ‘forty winks’. People across cultures have embraced power naps to maximize productivity; Kalo Mesimeri in Greece, Riposo in Italy, Siesta in Spain, and Idlip in the Philippines. A 30-40 minutes nap can boost your alertness for up to ten hours. The benefits are far beyond feeling refreshed. A siesta directly impacts enhanced memory, improved cognitive performance, and stronger logical reasoning and can reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases.

So many companies such as Google, PWC, Nike, Uber, Cisco, Zappers, and Indian startups such as Wakefit strongly believe in the power of an afternoon nap. They have cozy sleep pods with many taking it a notch above with their quirky designs. Hey, we hear you loud and clear. Of course, not all workplaces romanticize afternoon slumbers. But thanks to the post-pandemic world; the hybrid work model, freelancing is all now a reality, and nothing stops you from your beautiful siesta, at least for most days!

All set to take that siesta? Remember that power napping is like meditating.. A disciplined approach yields phenomenal results.  The optimal time is 30-40 minutes, and the best window for the nap is between 1 – 3 pm. You can set the alarm or take the help of apps such as Pzizz, Gentle Nap, Sleep Cycle, and Power Napp to manage your siesta. Avoid caffeine or any exercise before nap time and unwind in a calm and dark place for complete rest. 

Bubye 1 PM sloth and hi to the productive you!