Do you ever get the feeling that your financial advisor or insurance agent is asleep on the job? Well there’s a good chance he/she is indeed taking a snooze.
A total of 58.9% of workers in the finance and insurance industry admit to dozing off at work, according to a survey by Amerisleep, which makes mattresses, beds, and sleep accessories.
That doesn’t even put those workers at the top of the totem pole for napping at work. That sleepy-time honor goes to the technology sector, where 70% of workers admit to hitting the hay at work.
To be sure, some tech companies, such as Alphabet, encourage workers to take a little siesta at the office.
Construction workers earn second place on the nap-ometer, with 68.4% sleeping at work. And they apparently aren’t too worried about anti-sleeping rules: 65.9% of construction workers say they nap at work even when it’s prohibited.
Government Workers: #3 Sleepers
Government and public administration workers came in third, with 63.5% of them confessing to nod-offs during work.
You may have had a designated napping spot in nursery school, but these workers say they sleep at a desk, a meeting room, or in their vehicle.
Finance and insurance workers took fourth, followed by manufacturing, transportation and warehouse workers (52.6%) and medical/healthcare workers (52.1%), with the latter saying they nap for 17% of their workday.
Next came education workers (45.6%), with 28.5% saying they would doze where it is forbidden. The next group of sleepers are wholesale/retail workers (42.9%). The meeting room is their favorite location.
Wide Awake in Food Services, The Arts
The total was 39.1% for hotel, food services, and hospitality workers.
In the arts, entertainment, and recreation industry it was 34.6%. Amerisleep says that low number may stem from the fact that 77% of workers in that field are freelancers, who might be reluctant to curb their work hours.
But as a freelancer myself, I’m skeptical of that explanation. Not that I’ve ever slept on the job personally, of course.
In any case, many health experts say a brief nap during the day can help productivity. So maybe it’s something more employers should encourage. But keep in mind that "brief" doesn’t mean four hours.
Amerisleep offers several tips to sleep better at night, so you don’t need as much shut-eye during the day:
· Add sleep-enhancing foods to your lunch. That includes turkey, salmon and leafy greens.
· Try aromatherapy. “Lavender and jasmine are two scents in particular that are considered to be helpful for sleep.”
· Practice light stretching. It can prepares your mind and body for rest.
· Choose breathable bedding. “Sleeping in a breathable fabric can prevent you from waking up too hot or too cold.”
· Don’t neglect your mattress and pillow. “There’s a possibility that the quality of your mattress and pillow could be disrupting your sleep.”
