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Restormel: Cornish company does well out of power-napping craze

Local lifestyle product company, Worlds Apart, based in St Columb Major has championed the introduction of Britain’s first ever National Nap at Work Week, (March 28th – April 1st).

The week has been introduced following a survey conducted by the company into office workers views on Power Napping. Indeed it found that over seventy-five per cent of those surveyed believed taking a power nap during the working day can help increase productivity leading Worlds Apart to call for power naps to become part of working culture in the UK, and asking for bosses to embrace the art of recharging the brains with snooze!

Worlds Apart say there’s no better time to take things lying down as the UK’s first National Nap at Work Week aptly coincides with the start of British Summer Time, when the clocks go forward and depriving us all of yet another hour’s sleep. Just another reminder of what it’s like to live in Britain’s 24/7 lifestyle, when working hours are getting longer and leisure time getting shorter.

This theory was certainly supported by the survey’s findings. A massive 94 per cent of us suffer from concentration lapses at work, while some 76 per cent of those asked admit to almost falling asleep at their desks. But tiredness is not the only reason to take a nap. Just under 45 per cent of us find we have our best work-related ideas in bed, at the end of a long day. It would appear that when we are at our most relaxed, our brain is at its most productive. The phrase ‘time to think’ springs to mind.

The Science
According to the scientists at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, sleeping on the job helps boost mental performance by preventing the brain becoming overloaded. Without a 'power nap', too much information can flood the brain of a busy employee, leading to a loss of learning ability. The research found that sleep, and not merely resting with eyes closed, is necessary to produce the restorative effect. Naps lasting an hour or less have previously been shown to improve alertness, productivity and mood.

It would appear that the UK experts agree. Professor Jim Horne, a sleep specialist and co-founder of the British Sleep Foundation, is campaigning for sleep to become cool. Professor Horne says that while a cup of coffee can help combat sleepiness, the only cure is sleep. He commented: "I would recommend naps. If you're feeling tired, sleep for 10-15 minutes, no longer, and you will feel refreshed."

But for bosses worried about the feasibility of workplace napping, Worlds Apart have the solution. The innovative adult Ready Bed is ideally suited to the job. It boasts an air mattress, pillow and bedding all in one, so there’s no need to lug around all those separate components. It also comes with a battery-operated pump for inflation, and deflation, in seconds and will fold down incredibly small for storage under your desk or in your locker.

So why not join businesses up and down the country over National Nap at Work Week and invest some time in recharging the brain. It’s time to lay down and be counted.

Full details of Worlds Apart survey are available on request.
The Worlds Apart Single Adult Ready Bed is available in Argos, priced at £44.99. A double version is also available from Argos for £64.99. This version might not be so suitable for the office.