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A Modest Proposal for Sleep
Can’t get up in the morning? Me neither. I have three different alarms that go off in a sequence that is designed to get me to walk across the room and turn them off. Usually the third one works. Getting out of bed is the worst thing in the world. Wait, I have to get past all that rush hour traffic? Fine, it’s the second worst thing. After years of chasing the school bus, arriving breathless for class in college and skipping breakfast to get to work before noon, I’ve figured out that nature never intended for me to rise before nine.
According to the Boston Globe, People are like birds in that they have one of two chronotypes. You are either a “lark” or an “owl.” Without making this too complicated, you are either a morning person or a night owl. (Unless you are just sleepy all the time in which case you may be a three-toed sloth). You may be programmed to rise at 6 or not until 9. We all know when we are most productive and when we are not and that is the result of our own chronotypes.
But wait, you say. Aren’t people really mammals? Yes, of course we are (your 4th grade teacher is so proud of you right now). It’s what we have in common with other mammals that can explain another important characteristic of our chronotype. Most mammals nap. Humans do this fairly inconsistently after kindergarten, exceptions being some associates on some intense projects. But, like me, they are victims of biology. We are programmed to be drowsy twice a day: late at night and between 12 and 3 in the afternoon. I know what you are thinking. It’s not my most productive time either.
This is all more complicated by daylight savings. Short days are strange. They are made stranger by the sitting in a cubical with only fluorescent lighting. Can this make me more productive? It works for chickens. They can be tricked into laying eggs every day, but there’s still that pesky afternoon sleepiness. Green tea and loads of coffee works for me, but is that addressing the problem? Surely some other solution exists to increase productivity.
A 2008 study of the University of Dusseldorf showed that the mere onset of sleep may trigger active memory processes. These are effective even if sleep is limited to only a few minutes. Aha! I need a quick burst of sleep, but how? Some are taking advantage of new technology to solve this age old need.
Energy Pods are a new machine that helps you get a power nap like never before. The pods consist of a hood that covers a reclining chair. It looks like a first class airline seat of sorts, but much more inviting. There’s a burgeoning trend in napping related businesses in the US. One example is MetroNaps, which lets people come over to their center in New York and pay to nap in these sleep pods. Sound crazy? It’s really just a naturally progression after bottle water and oxygen bars. What’s next in this trend? Bringing these pods into workplaces where employees can improve productivity with a power nap. The Energy Pods, retail for $12,400. The company has installed about 100 of these so far at varied places like Procter & Gamble, Cisco, and Stanford Medical Center. Should my office give this a go? My modest proposal is that we should try it. After all, consultants love adopting best practices, right?
According to the Boston Globe, People are like birds in that they have one of two chronotypes. You are either a “lark” or an “owl.” Without making this too complicated, you are either a morning person or a night owl. (Unless you are just sleepy all the time in which case you may be a three-toed sloth). You may be programmed to rise at 6 or not until 9. We all know when we are most productive and when we are not and that is the result of our own chronotypes.
But wait, you say. Aren’t people really mammals? Yes, of course we are (your 4th grade teacher is so proud of you right now). It’s what we have in common with other mammals that can explain another important characteristic of our chronotype. Most mammals nap. Humans do this fairly inconsistently after kindergarten, exceptions being some associates on some intense projects. But, like me, they are victims of biology. We are programmed to be drowsy twice a day: late at night and between 12 and 3 in the afternoon. I know what you are thinking. It’s not my most productive time either.
This is all more complicated by daylight savings. Short days are strange. They are made stranger by the sitting in a cubical with only fluorescent lighting. Can this make me more productive? It works for chickens. They can be tricked into laying eggs every day, but there’s still that pesky afternoon sleepiness. Green tea and loads of coffee works for me, but is that addressing the problem? Surely some other solution exists to increase productivity.
A 2008 study of the University of Dusseldorf showed that the mere onset of sleep may trigger active memory processes. These are effective even if sleep is limited to only a few minutes. Aha! I need a quick burst of sleep, but how? Some are taking advantage of new technology to solve this age old need.
Energy Pods are a new machine that helps you get a power nap like never before. The pods consist of a hood that covers a reclining chair. It looks like a first class airline seat of sorts, but much more inviting. There’s a burgeoning trend in napping related businesses in the US. One example is MetroNaps, which lets people come over to their center in New York and pay to nap in these sleep pods. Sound crazy? It’s really just a naturally progression after bottle water and oxygen bars. What’s next in this trend? Bringing these pods into workplaces where employees can improve productivity with a power nap. The Energy Pods, retail for $12,400. The company has installed about 100 of these so far at varied places like Procter & Gamble, Cisco, and Stanford Medical Center. Should my office give this a go? My modest proposal is that we should try it. After all, consultants love adopting best practices, right?
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