Until recently, napping while on the clock has been viewed as a sign of laziness or disinterest. Successful people, including Martha Stewart and Tom Ford, used to pride themselves on getting by on just a few hours of sleep per night. Nowadays, however, more and more companies are starting to realize that 20-minute mid-shift power naps are a great way to boost employee productivity.
After collapsing from exhaustion in 2007, Arianna Huffington, former editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, has been actively contributing to stopping the stigma around office naps. She expects nap rooms to soon become as universal as conference rooms.
The gains are clear: refreshed concentration, better memory, increased creativity and reduced burnouts. Sleep deprivation, on the other hand, is not only linked to higher mortality, but also to higher costs. A study shows that the U.S. sustains economic losses of $411 billion a year—2.28% of its GDP—because Americans are not getting enough sleep.
Companies that recognize the importance of sleep are already making significant changes to their workplaces by adding nap rooms and even EnergyPods. Keep scrolling to read about 20 companies where catnaps at the office are OK.
Azavea
At Philadelphia software company Azavea the work/life balance is of paramount importance. That’s why they offer employees the possibility of staying active while also getting all the rest they need. Apart from ping pong tables, yoga mats, and power racks, amenities at their 990 Spring Garden Street location include nap rooms and even two showers. And not only does Azavea subsidize child care and public transit costs, but 20% of company profits also go back to the employees.
Ben & Jerry’s
Besides the three pints of ice cream they can take home per day, Ben and Jerry’s employees get to enjoy a nap room fully equipped with a futon, pillows and blankets. The company was one of the earliest believers in the fact that a 20-minute nap can improve productivity, as the nap room has been part of their Vermont headquarters for more than a decade. “The room itself is really part of the larger corporate culture here and company’s belief that a happy employee is a productive employee,” company spokeswoman Liz Stewart told the BBC.
Betterment
This investment company based in New York City contributes to the office power naps movement by offering its employees a sleep room with a futon, blankets, pillows and darkening shades on the door. The room is most appreciated by those coming to work right off of a red-eye flight. “We have a nap room and we believe it improves the productivity of the team when used. Our CEO is a firm believer that naps are a good tool to increase productivity. He once even sent an office-wide email with a few napping tips. One of them was that 10-minute naps leave you feeling refreshed immediately, but 60-minute naps lead to the best retention,” says a company representative.
Capital One Labs
Capital One’s experimental product and technology team has one of the most unique nap spaces at their San Francisco offices: a treehouse-like nook, accessible by a ladder. Designed to evoke a feeling of cozy isolation, this sleeping area is perfect for employees who participate in one- or two-day brainstorming sessions. Moreover, the playful color scheme that the designers at Studio O+A chose for the workspace is guaranteed to keep the ideas flowing, especially after those well-deserved z’s.
Cardlytics
Cardlytics employees working from their Atlanta headquarters at Ponce City Market can literally put their feet up in the company’s own hanging bed, or, if they are looking for more privacy, enjoy a mid-shift snooze in one of the cocoon sleeping pods found in the hammock room. With flexible work hours, a dog-friendly workspace, a game room, yoga, running and brew clubs, and even a put-put golf course spanning throughout the office, this purchase-driven marketing company has proven itself as a strong supporter of healthy work/life balance.
Cisco
The enormous Cisco headquarters in San Jose has several secret areas that even some of the employees don’t know about. One of these is the relaxation room in Building I, complete with massage chairs, TV screens, and thick curtains that guarantee privacy. Moreover, the company is one of the adopters of MetroNaps EnergyPods, the $13,000 hi-tech napping chairs specifically designed for office use that play relaxing music while you drift off to sleep and that wake you up with relaxing vibrations.
Dun & Bradstreet
Included on Ethisphere’s 2018 World’s Most Ethical Companies honoree list, Dun & Bradstreet knows how to take care of its employees. Their Austin location features a relaxing nap room, shown to the new recruits on day one. Also, company employees have the possibility to work remotely from wherever they want, and benefit from health, wellness or nutrition programs organized by the on-site Recovery Committee.
As Glassdoor’s Best Places to Work 2018 list based on employee preferences clearly shows, Facebook benefits are among the most popular. A video game arcade, a bike repair shop, an on-site barber shop, dry cleaning services, or a free EV charging station are only a few of the perks Facebook employees working from Menlo Park get to enjoy. And since tech companies have led the way as far as napping at the workplace is concerned, it is no surprise that employees can also take some refreshing down time in one of the company’s sleeping pods.
Another tech company well-known for its abundant amenities, Google, offers its Mountain View employees the opportunity to catch some shuteye in between tasks in one of their “moon rooms,” complete with blackout curtains, beanbags and couches. Of course, Googlers can also opt to take their nap in one of the already famous MetroNaps sleeping pods. “No workplace is complete without a nap pod. We found that if the 5 to 15 minute power nap works on Sunday before you watch the football game, why not here at work?” David Radcliffe, Vice President of Google’s Real Estate & Workplace Services told CBS News.
Hootsuite
This social media platform developer, with U.S. offices in San Francisco and New York, openly advocates for 10- to 20-minute power naps. Their workplaces include nap rooms, with cot-style beds and custom lighting for those midday z’s. “Whether it’s my bright computer screen, posture, or general lack of sleep, sometimes I just can’t help myself from feeling tired at the office. We’ve all had one of those days and it’s often difficult to shake off. Thankfully we have a nap room where I can go to rest my eyes and my mind for 10-15 minutes and come back to my desk feeling energized for the rest of the day,” says one of their employees.
Nike
The Nike offices in Oregon feature special relaxation rooms where employees can nap or meditate. Also, the athletic apparel titan offers employees flexible work times to suit their chronotype, the individual predisposition for a particular sleeping schedule. In an article on the benefits of sleep published on the Nike+ Run Club blog, the company promotes sleeping at least seven hours a day and choosing a balanced life, rather than trading a good night’s sleep for a workout.
Noble Systems
Noble Systems provides advanced call center solutions around the globe, and even though its customer support line is open 24/7, employee well-being is not overlooked. The break room at the company’s Atlanta headquarters is equipped with a MetroNaps sleeping pod and employees are allowed to adjust their work hours based on their preference.
Procter & Gamble
Another giant that chose MetroNaps sleeping pods for its nap rooms is Procter & Gamble. The company has also installed lighting systems that regulate melatonin, the hormone that controls the sleep cycle. These are meant to help employees switch off after a long day of work. P&G is known to be an avid supporter of healthy sleep patterns. In 2014 it organized a “Science of Sleep” conference at its headquarters in Cincinnati, during which attendees received valuable advice on how to get a good night’s rest.
Puppet Labs
The software company’s 75,000-square-foot headquarters in Portland includes a nap and meditation room where employees can relax and recharge. This room is fully-equipped with couches and beanbags, for a comfortable time-out. Moreover, the Puppet Labs employees working from here can enjoy stunning views of downtown Portland, arcade games, a kitchen filled with goodies, beer on tap, and a bike storage area with a repair workshop.
PwC
Multinational accounting firm PwC’s bigger offices include relaxation & nap rooms, where employees can recharge their batteries. The nap room in their Basel office, for example, was created by an Evolution Design team, and apart from natural motifs and organic shapes, it features massage chairs, EnergyPods, low-level lighting and music. Moreover, PwC Switzerland offers employees flexible hours, so they can leave early or take midday breaks and even invited sleep experts to their offices to hold talks about good and bad sleeping habits.
Samsung
Located at 3655 N 1st Street, the Samsung America headquarters in San Jose features MetroNaps EnergyPods installed in soundproof rooms with glass doors. The 1.1 million-square-foot, LEED-certified building housing the company’s semiconductor division is complete with foosball and pool tables, a modern workout facility, and an outside green area, so employees can stay active during the day. “We believe in giving our team members the opportunity to unwind and refresh their bodies and minds,” said Samsung in a release.
Thrive Global
A startup launched by Arianna Huffington dedicated to reducing stress and improving wellness, Thrive Global stays true to its mission and offers employees the chance to take refreshing naps in one of their relaxation rooms. For the nap and meditation room in its SoHo offices, the company worked with Coco-Mat, a natural bedding company, and used indigo blue shades because they promote deep concentration during times of meditation. “Walking around looking drained and exhausted is what should be looked down on,” Huffington told The Huffington Post Canada as a response to office power naps being frowned upon.
Uber
For its San Francisco Technologies offices, Uber worked with Studio O+A to create “a room built for maximum efficiency–a room so built for work that no one would need to leave,” as Denise Cherry, principal at the interior design firm, puts it. This approach features workplace amenities such as a nap/focus room, a kitchenette, a living room space, and a game room. Uber also advocates against drowsy driving. In February it launched a feature that prompts drivers to go offline after reaching a total of 12 hours behind the wheel.
White & Case
While nap rooms are not common among law firms, White & Case breaks the pattern by offering its employees EnergyPods. The firm installed two MetroNaps pods in its D.C. offices. Moreover, this workspace features a bar, a full-service gym and a shower, helping their attorneys and staff stay fresh and look sharp. Francis Vasquez, a White & Case partner, told Financial Times that the nap pods have been well-received by the employees and that they are used five to eight times a day. “From our perspective, it’s giving our people what they want. And happy employees make better employees, so we’re happy to make them happy,” he says.
Zappos
At Zappos, employees get to enjoy a one-of-a-kind nap room, where the state-of-the-art massage chairs are placed in niches in a 25-foot long, 3,500-gallon saltwater aquarium designed by Acrylic Tank Manufacturing, stars of Animal Planet’s “Tanked.” The company’s nappers enjoy a feeling of aquatic serenity as they drift off to sleep. The online shoe and clothing retailer strongly believes in office power naps, as sleep rooms, couches, enclosed spaces or bean bags have been available to employees since the company’s early days. They also have MetroNaps pods in their Las Vegas offices, located at 400 E. Stewart Avenue.
