Sleep in the workplace

[hilldweller]

Sleeping at work is generally viewed as a slovenly, completely inappropriate thing to do. Accepted social mores associate employment with productivity and productivity with compensation, thus making the idea of earning compensation while sleeping a morally indefensible one. In most workplaces, sleeping on the job is probably on the short list of things to do to get yourself fired. Particularly if it is a flagrant "I'm gonna catch some zzzz's" display and the sleeping position appears to be arranged, like say, under a desk or reclining back in a chair. Dozing off unintentionally is certainly less rude and probably a more excusable offense, however you're still likely to lose some respect from your co-workers. They'll probably think you were out getting wasted the night before or something.

Have you ever fallen asleep at your workplace? Did you get caught?

[zman]

There have been a couple meeting during which I.... nodded off a bit, but no sleep.

Forget about napping at work, some consider napping in general to be lazy. Alas, it is proven to be a healthy enterprise and one in which I partake on a somewhat regular basis.

I do sometimes catch some winks at home during lunch, but that is only during the work day and not at work.

I think we should adopt a small nap time as a normal part of the work day, maybe people will be less cranky and we'll forgo the afternoon duldrums that hamper productivity. Aren't the Germans doing something similar?

In fact that are many European workplace practices that I would like to adopt here.

[JNA]

A really bad sign is if staff knows that you are in but have the office door closed with the lights off.

[boiker]

I can't nap. If I do, it turns into a 4-8 hour SLEEP and it takes me about 1 hour to find my bearings after that "nap".

A planner I used to work with had a door and 4 walls and would nap during lunch in the privacy of his office.

[MacheteJames]

If I've been out late the night before due to a board meeting, I've been known to sneak into the planning/zoning conference room and put my head down on the desk for a few minutes. I tend to start off strong first thing in the morning no matter how much sleep I get but am dragging by 2 or 3pm.

[luckless pedestrian]

yes, but supposedly a nap during the day is good for you: http://www.napping.com/workplace.html

but no, I have not done it myself at work except when I was pregnant with my second child, I used to go home and nap at lunchtime if I had a meeting that night and it worked to keep my energy at least at some sort of alertness

[Maister]

No siestas here. Too much Northern European protestant bias going on for that to be tolerated.

[Gotta Speakup]

I was having bad allergies and took a benedryl once. I ended up sleeping on my boss's couch for a couple of hours, then went home (8 blocks) to sleep for another 10 hours.

Everyone still kids me about it

[Raf]

I have nodded off during lunch and learns and zoned out at meetings, but never full on sleep. We use to have a co-worker who would wear a hat, wear it in the office down to eye level, and then place his hand on his keyboard. I went to go chat with a fellow co-worker and he told me to "shhhh" he is sleeping and pointed to him. Well, in the end, he was fired for poor work performance. He didn't do this once, but almost every other day for a year.

[kjel]

Not really. I did work for a manufacturing plant making fire and security alarm components in my younger days and there was a "sleep room" that was dark and had cots in it so if you wanted to catch some zzz's on your lunch you could. Mostly it was taken advantage of by those who were not feeling well but weren't able to go home.

[Coragus]

A couple times at my last job, where I had an office in the corner of the floor, I nodded off right at my desk in the middle of something. Both times, one or more engineers started laughing outside (unrelated matter; I wasn't caught) and it woke me up. In each case, it was just enough to get me through the rest of the day.

[kms]

Once or twice while I was in the fatigued first months of pregnancy. I will set the alarm on my phone and catch 15 min. at lunch every now and then.

[Seana]

The art of sleeping with one's eyes open is something to master.

[Planit]

I've drifted off once or twice over the years, once in particular when I worked two jobs.


I have caught a collegue in full snore - that was fun because 3 of us woke him up by shooting rubber bands at him

[Mud Princess]

Oh yeah, I've nodded off at my computer more than a few times, though I don't think anyone ever noticed. I didn't have an enclosed office with a door at the last two places I worked, so napping was definitely not an option. Whenever I found myself getting sleepy, I'd either get some coffee or take a quick walk around the building.

Since I started working solo, I've taken an afternoon nap only once or twice. I guess I don't like to interrupt my work day. I'm definitely more of a morning person.

[GeogPlanner]

Can't speak from my own experience but I have known people to take a nap on thier lunch breaks and have seen people fall asleep during APA Audio Conferences.

[craines]

I am napping right now...................

[Dan]

Sleeping at work is generally viewed as a slovenly, completely inappropriate thing to do.

What about during your lunch break?

[btrage]

What about during your lunch break?

I would say that it is still looked down upon. As in the only reason you're sleeping during lunch is because you went on a bender the night before or a good employee would get enough sleep at night so as to not nap during lunch.

[mike gurnee]

Cat naps get me through the day. Not the head on the desk, not snoring, but a 5-10 minute "meditation". Hey, you could call it a religious practice: what would HR do then?

[The District]

while employed, i was a fervent observer of the lunch hour nap, but never in the office. it'd either be at a park or in my car. it makes me a lot more productive for the rest of the day. i only need 30-45 minutes, and i'm good to go. but i don't think i ever told a coworker--as mentioned before, i think there's a stigma even though i'm a good worker and a non-drinker.

[vdubluv]

Not something I do, but we do have two people here in our office that tend to drift off at different times of the day. One is really good at sleeping sitting upright and scrolling frequently enough that it is relatively unnoticeable. The other just blatently falls asleep in public hearings and meetings. He actually woke himself up by snoring loudly during a council meeting. That didn't go over very well.

[Zoning Goddess]

I worked for a county for 8 yrs and during that time, I had my son. Pregnancy and the return to work can be exhausting. We had a couch in the anteroom of the ladies' room on our floor, and I would frequently take a nap during lunch, asking the receptionist to wake me up in an hour.

I also kept nodding off in a conference room there (new building) and after a bunch of complaints it was discovered that the oxygen level in that room was really low and new air vents had to be installed. So at least that was not my fault!

[michiganplanner]

I have witnessed a person falling completely and soundly asleep in their desk chair...sometimes with feet on the desk. Their office door is always open.

It is so blatant and so frequent that the issue has become a joke.

(not a joke to me)

[Monamogolo]

Swedish work places are supposed to provide a lockable room with a bed (or equivalent) for resting on. I imagine it's meant to be used when someone is not feeling well, but it also caters to the cat-napper.

In our previous office location, the room doubled as an activity/Video room for staffs' kids if they had to bring them in at the office. I never knew anyone to use it for siestas, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen.

Our current office doesn't have the locakble room, but does have a sofa that can be used. Again, no one has time for a nap. But it's not officially frowned on. Civilised nations like Spain still have an extra long lunch hour as a siesta. then they work later, and eat even later.