By Taylor Boggs ’16, Perspectives Section Editor
As humans, we have a biological need for only three things in order to survive: food, water, and sleep. When we are tired, less blood reaches the areas of our brains that are critical to decision-making and awareness. While we can work through long shifts and attend eight hours of school on little to no sleep, our performance is at a reduced level of functioning. Studies have shown that Americans have become more sleep-deprived. In fact, according to a National Health Interview Survey, nearly 30% of adults sleep 6 hours or less (8-10 being the healthy amount), and suffer from some form of sleep deprivation. What is the answer to this problem? Some claim napping.
And yet, social stigma also surrounds napping. In our country, we equate productivity with work hours. Consequently, anyone who takes a break is lazy because their level of performance is determined by the time commitment that they put into their work. In addition, taking naps for some indicate that the napper has no ambition or that the napper is being disrespectful of their acquaintances and employers. And of course there is also the stigma that napping is only for children, the sick and the elderly.
In fact, sleep deprivation remains a very serious problem that can result in psychological, mental, and physical disabilities. In several examples, sleep deprivation has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease and memory problems, cancer, depression and moodiness, increased impulsiveness, decreased emotional intelligence, and inability to think productively. This state of drowsiness is terribly dangerous to both individuals and society as a whole: many drivers put themselves and others in harm’s way by driving when they are tired and workers who work 12 hour shifts (especially during the night) risk performance accidents. Why is this OK? A study of healthy young adults who had experienced sleep deprivation for only 20-25 hours found that the individuals had a mental health state similar to people under the influence with a blood alcohol level of 0.1% (which would get you arrested behind the wheel).
So what would napping do? Napping has been utilized by different generations and cultures since the beginning of human existence. Known to improve health, energy, mood and brain function, napping also increases tolerance and decreases impulsivity. In a recent University of Michigan study, researchers found that “napping may be an effective strategy to counteract negative emotional consequences, including increased impulsivity and decreased ability to tolerate frustration that may occur as wakefulness increases throughout the day.” Napping would be critical to enhancing performance and reducing mistakes and accidents. In an example, NASA performed a study on tired military pilots and found that naps improved performance by 34% and alertness by 100%.
Napping also has other numerous benefits: it boosts productivity, quickens reflexes, strengthens stamina, elevates one’s mood, improves decision making, helps memory, lowers stress, promotes healthy skin and weight loss, and reduces the likelihood of certain diseases exacerbated by fatigue. Alertness is critical no matter what you do because it determines your efficiency. Likewise, decreases in error and increases in productivity are directly related to a person’s energy level and awareness. As an employee, sleep is especially important because sleep deprivation can cause mistakes that are timely and costly and in addition, sleep deprivation can have bad implications on fostering collaborations because of irritability. Each year, for example, U.S. industry pays over $150 million a year for fatigue-related accidents. And as for irritability, naps bathe your brain in serotonin which reverses moodiness and prevents disagreements, stress, and anxiety. Last, napping allows us to consolidate our memories.
Nevertheless, some people are still wary of the benefits of napping. Research shows that in most cases, the reason that people experience sleep inertia, the feeling of grogginess and disorientation that sometimes occur after a nap, is because they go into a deep sleep while they nap. This occurs when naps last longer than 20-30 minutes, allowing your body to enter a full sleep cycle. Likewise, napping late in the day could make it difficult to fall asleep at night and if you nap too early in the day your body may not be ready to sleep again. So the problem is not that the nap does not work, but that many misunderstand how long the nap should last and what time during the day it should be utilized.
Recently, a Homeland Security Inspector caught two Secret Service agents sleeping on the job. Over the last three years the Service has undergone a lot of scrutiny because of behavior and security lapses, but perhaps this lapse should draw attention to the problem of sleep deprivation rather than the two servicemen being attacked for their misstep. The inspectors’ reports say that one agent had worked 60 hours of overtime in the previous two week and the other agent was known for having 12-hour days in the heat without sufficient water. This time, the agents found at fault may have a legitimate excuse which more employers should pay attention to. Naps are not the only solution to the problem, but there is evidence that proves that mental functioning is greatly improved from brief periods of rest. Besides, as stated previously, those who are sleep-deprived have similar symptoms to people who are intoxicated: poor memory, inability to maintain attention, and discoordination. Any employee, let alone members of the Secret Service, should not be performing their work in this state of body and mind.
Many companies such as Huffington Post-AOL, P&G, and Cisco have established “energy pods” in their offices so that employees can take 20-30 minute naps and re-energize themselves. Yahoo! and Time Warner provide napping at local spas so that employees may nap in private rooms. Ben & Jerry’s and Nike have “quiet rooms” for employees to sleep in. More and more companies are beginning to realize the increased production that comes with paid naps, and others are catching on as well. It would be beneficial not only for the companies at which these individuals work, but also beneficial for public safety. In the years to come, it would be smart for both companies and schools to offer “nap time” in order to boost mental output.
Sources:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/24/opinions/vox-napping-secret-service-agents/index.html
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-we-should-all-be-napping-at-work-2015-7
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ron-friedman-phd/why-you-should-be-paid-to_b_6262304.html
http://saramednick.com/htmls/pdfs/Take_a_Nap_03.pdf
https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-topics/napping
Image Source:
http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/napping-sleep-deprivation-11022015/
