Sleeping during work hours reduces stress among employees (Getty Images)

Sleep is the foundation of wellness, and not getting a good night's rest can affect all aspects of life, whether health, work or psychological. Perhaps that is why some companies and schools are keen to provide sleeping spaces to compensate employees and students for some of their sleep debt, and so on. You may find an employee or student who is not in his place within the school or company, because he is getting a rest in an area designated for this purpose.

Benefits of sleeping in classrooms

The story told by teacher Brandon Holman on TikTok continues to leave an impact on a large number of teachers around the world, with more than 7.4 million views, as he told the story of that student who came to class and seemed very frustrated, and later Holman learned that the student had lost his grandfather. The previous night, and it was a difficult night, the teacher only said to the student, “I am sorry for your loss, I am praying for you, I already got a 100 on the exam,” urging him to get some sleep.

"Sometimes, the kindest thing a teacher can do for his students is to let them put their heads on the desks and go to sleep instead of calling them lazy," Holman said in the clip.

There is a thin line between sleep that wastes lessons and a student’s biological clock, and sleep that helps him regain his energy (Getty Images)

There is a thin line between sleep, which wastes lessons and spoils both the school day and the student’s biological clock, and sleep, which helps him regain his energy and pay better attention during the school day. The password is “napping.”

A scientific study indicates the importance of giving sleepy students time to nap inside the classroom, as this has a positive impact on their academic performance and health in general, especially since students sleeping in the classroom are usually caused by reasons, such as:

  • Insomnia.

  • Depression.

  • Anxiety.

  • Difficulty organizing time.

  • Excessive spending time in front of the screen.

  • Difficulty adapting to school due to the transition from one stage to another.

  • Parental divorce.

Napping during the school day increases students' grades by approximately 10% (Getty Images)

A scientific study on the role of naps in school in learning concluded that when students between the ages of 10 and 15 years take a nap during the school day, their grades increase by approximately 10%. The results indicated the possibility of using sleep to enhance memory regarding the information that the student obtains during the school day. the school.

Beds at Twitter headquarters

In 2022, when employees at Twitter returned to their offices after the end of the Corona pandemic, they were surprised by the conversion of a number of rooms at the company’s headquarters in San Francisco into sleeping areas. The company - which laid off almost half of the employees - wanted to celebrate the remaining employees by creating areas for rest and taking “naps.” Or "napping" as an essential part of a healthy work environment.

Study: 48% of employees in the United States of America feel sleepy at least two days a week (Getty Images)

Nearly 48% of employees in the United States of America feel sleepy at least two days a week, while 28% of them feel sleepy at least 5 days a week. Many major companies and institutions have adopted a work culture that supports encouraging employees to sleep and get better sleep. Rest as an investment in their health and effectiveness, which is achieved through several steps, the most important of which are:

  • Enhancing the work environment by allocating quiet areas for employees to meditate, nap or rest with their eyes closed, and on the other hand enhancing work areas with more natural light that helps regulate the circadian rhythm, while reconfiguring furniture and equipment to allow light to enter, and using overhead lights that simulate... Daylight, and set up seating outside so employees get fresh air and vitamin D during the day.

  • Reducing stress at work by teaching managers and supervisors workload management skills, limiting overtime, outsourcing additional tasks, encouraging employees not to skip work hours, highlighting employees who are trying to balance work and life, while discouraging sending messages Work email or receiving calls after work hours.

  • Providing more flexibility to employees, as this helps them sleep better. When a person has flexibility about how he works and his time, he can adopt schedules that allow for a better balance between work and life, and increase downtime. Examples of this include the possibility of working from home twice a week. For example, offering flexible working hours and arrival and departure times.

  • Educating employees about the importance of sleep, how to improve it, and its impact on job performance and health.

  • Encourage employees to take paid time off, with a strict no-work-while-sick policy, and encourage managers and team leaders to take vacation and sick days, giving employees additional sick days or designating specific days for mental health.

To get the maximum benefit from sleep during work, the best duration for a nap is 20-30 minutes (Getty Images)

A nap, not a deep sleep

Studies have agreed that taking a nap is important for employees and students during work or school hours, but for how long? And how many times a week?

Studies indicate that taking a nap once or twice a week was linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack, stroke, and heart disease, as well as supporting the immune system, relieving stress and lack of sleep in general, but it may turn from a blessing into a curse if Exceeding 30 minutes, it is linked to problems related to blood pressure, liver disease, and diabetes.

To obtain the maximum benefit from sleep during work, the best duration for a nap is 20 minutes and not more than 30 minutes. This is called light sleep, which enhances alertness without entering into deep sleep.

Experts recommend that the nap be in the period from the afternoon to approximately two-thirty, without exceeding three in the evening, as after this time it leads to problems sleeping during the night and affects the biological clock instead of supporting it.

It is also possible to create a suitable atmosphere for a nap by taking it in a clean, dark, and comfortable place. If this is not possible, tools such as an eye mask and earplugs can be used to reduce disturbances and noise during the nap.

Source: websites