Summary: A recent survey by Sleep Doctor analyzed responses from 1,250 US full-time workers, revealing that 46% nap during work hours to combat poor sleep and stress. Remote and younger workers are more likely to nap. Common nap durations range from under 15 minutes to over an hour, with the primary reasons being re-energization and stress relief. Additionally, 77% of workers lose sleep at night due to job stress, with work-life balance and deadlines being major stressors.
Key Takeaways:
- Nearly half of respondents reported napping during the workday at least a few times per year to cope with fatigue and stress. One-third said they nap weekly, and 6% nap daily.
- A substantial 77% of workers stated that career-related stress causes them to lose sleep at night. Specific stressors include work-life balance issues, demanding projects, and tight deadlines, which lead to significant sleep loss ranging from a few minutes to over three hours nightly.
- The survey found that remote and hybrid workers, younger employees, and men are more likely to take naps during work hours compared to their counterparts.
Sleep Doctor, an online source for sleep health, improvement, and education, has published a recent survey report that examines how work impacts sleep. The report also explains whether career stressors keep workers up at night.
Researchers gathered and analyzed survey responses from 1,250 full-time workers in the United States.
Based on the survey, 46% of respondents say they nap during the workday at least a few times per year. Additionally, 33% say they nap weekly, 18% say several times per week, 9% say once per week, and 6% say every day.
Survey results also show that remote and hybrid workers are likelier to take naps during the workday than in-person workers. Likewise, younger workers and men are more likely to nap than older workers and women, respectively.
Among respondents who nap during the workday, 26% nap for fewer than 15 minutes, 27% nap for 15 to 29 minutes, and 24% nap for 30 to 59 minutes. Furthermore, 12% nap for one hour, 9% nap for two hours, and 3%nap for three hours or more.
Top Reasons Cited for Napping During Work
The top reasons why workers nap are to re-energize, to recover from poor sleep at night, to handle long working hours, and stress. Other reasons include boredom and avoiding work.
“Napping can absolutely help you recover from poor sleep the previous night,” says Michael Breus, PhD, clinical psychologist and sleep medicine expert at Sleep Doctor, in a release. “There’s actually data to show even a seven-minute nap can make a difference, and a NASA study showed that napping increased alertness.”
Survey findings also highlight that 77% of respondents say they lose sleep at night due to career-related stressors. Ten percent say they lose three hours or more of sleep due to job stressors, 22% say two hours, and 25% say one hour. In addition, 9% say 30 to 59 minutes, 7% say 15 to 29 minutes, and 4% say less than 15 minutes.
The most common job stressors are work-life balance, demanding projects, upcoming deadlines, and struggles to get to work on time.
This survey was commissioned by Sleep Doctor and conducted online by the survey platform Pollfish. It was launched on March 13, and 1,250 full-time US workers completed the full survey.
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