I am a light sleeper. So, the slightest disturbance in the form of noise or lights keeps me awake or shatters my sleep.
According to a new study, productivity at the workplace can be boosted by allowing employees to take a power nap in the office. It adds that this practice has been shown to lower blood pressure levels, thereby doing away with the need to take drugs to lower blood pressure.
The problem with this is that one man’s idea of a nap might be another’s version of Rip Van Winkle’s shuteye. If a person takes a half-hour nap while another falls asleep for an hour, how does that improve productivity? What if everyone decides to nap at the same time? Does work come to a standstill?
In such a scenario, does the office lay down rules on the duration? Will there be a sleeping rota, with each employee given a time slot? What action will be taken if one oversleeps? Will the overtime be counted against you? Will there be a timekeeper? I would love to volunteer for this job simply because I know that I won’t be able to sleep anyway and it would be fun to monitor others and wake them up just before they become comatose. Maybe I can do my own research on sleep and have my work published.
Will sleeping pods (as they have at some airports) be made available? Or will one have to make do with putting one’s head down on the desk before sinking into oblivion?
And, before such a plan is implemented, I firmly believe that each person must be tested for the decibel levels of snoring. The other day at the Metro station, a man sitting behind me in the seating area fell fast asleep and, in seconds, the snoring began. I couldn’t believe anyone could fall asleep in such a place with constant movement and people talking loudly on their mobiles. I turned around to check if what I was hearing was really the sound of snoring, and my worst fears were confirmed. Now, that is the kind of person who will make the implementation of catnaps in offices a nightmare.
Imagine trying to work with that as background noise! Soothing music I can understand, but cacophony is something else. Some years ago, there was a colleague who believed a short sleep during working hours was his right. So, as the afternoon progressed, his head would begin drooping to a side and then the snoring would start. I was given the task of waking him up as soon as the noise began attracting unwelcome attention. I took great pleasure in nudging him awake even before the snoring reached its crescendo. After all, I had to work through that noise and being at the receiving end of curious stares from others was not pleasant at all.
The very thought of my sleep being timed will ensure that I do not fall asleep. I envy people who have no trouble sleeping wherever they are. I need optimum conditions for sleep — silence, darkness and no deadlines.
If I have to get up early in the morning for an early appointment, the night is spent tossing and turning and worrying about not sleeping enough. By the time my internal clock wakes me up, I feel like something the cat has dragged in.
Maybe the workplace could offer options. You can opt for a lie-in at work or keep working and get an extra bonus instead. But, mercenary creatures that we are, most will probably opt to sacrifice sleep for financial gain, even those who might well be comatose as far as work output is concerned.
