I took a nap this week. You know. It’s one of those things where you sleep for a little bit during the day. You’ve had one, right?
A siesta. Forty winks. A few Zs.
Call it what you will, but for me the word that comes to mind is fabulous. After battling allergies and sinuses at the start of the week, I came home early Tuesday with the full intention of getting more work done. But somehow the bed looked so comfy. But with just one hour of sleep, I was pretty much done for the evening.
And when I woke up – certain I had just slept for maybe 15 minutes – I realized I hadn’t done that in a long, long time. Even when we’re on vacation, I don’t usually nap. Or at least haven’t these last few years. I might nod off while reading a book, but I don’t think that really counts. Same for falling asleep on the couch. That’s not usually a deliberate action. This time was on purpose.
Now can someone remind me why I don’t do this on a regular basis?
Once or twice a week, while texting with our friend Bill, he’ll drop a note about getting a nap at the end of the work day, especially if he’s had a lot of conference calls throughout the day. And I’ve marveled at that a little bit. Seemingly no matter how exhausted I am, I power bottom on through the rest of the day, then ultimately stay up too late to get a decent amount of sleep. Imagine how much better I would feel just having a 30-minute break.
Perhaps we can make that the next big trend. We’ve figured out some type of remote work hybrid. Why not a company-wide post-lunch break? I don’t know many people who are running at 100% following lunch anyways. Why not put that time to good use to power up for the afternoon? I’m sure my boss would be up for it.
Plus nap time could open up a whole new avenue for office and office furniture design. We’re always stressing how important ergonomic chairs are for the health of employees. We could just take that a step further and finally create a chair we can really relax in. I’m thinking Herman Miller meets La-Z-Boy, except without the tacky fabric.
Not to mention the nostalgic appeal for the architects who spent time sleeping in their studios during school. I remember seeing the graduate studios my first year and noticing all the palettes underneath the desks. I was amazed that people would actually sleep there. But when you’re up half the night working on a project, I’m sure that was a godsend.
Except you’d have to deal with Dave three workstations over snoring so loud you’re pretty sure he’s going to inhale a desk monitor. And perhaps should see a specialist. Or having someone find you still asleep, drooling on your shirt, just in time for your next meeting. Or maybe discovering who has night terrors, even in the middle of the day.
So maybe that won’t work for every office. Or for everyone. However, after this week, I am definitely a fan again. Now I just need to decide which pillows and blankets I should bring to the office.
