41 percent of the people suffer from irregular sleep patterns because of work-related stress and working late into the night

To emphasize the importance of sleep wellness in the workplace, Wakefit.co, an online sleep solutions start-up, funded by Sequoia, conducted a nation-wide ‘Right to Work Naps’ survey, conducted with over 1500 respondents, showed that a whopping 70 percent of people didn’t have a nap room at their workplaces and 86 percent of the respondents confirmed that a nap room would definitely help improve overall productivity at work. 

The survey also revealed that 41 percent of the people surveyed suffered from irregular sleep patterns because of work-related stress and working late into the night. 

Work greatly impacting sleep amongst the Indian workforce

• Constant state of work anxiety hampered 31 percent of people’s sleep at night
• Almost 20 percent of respondents felt sleepy at work  all the  time  and  51 percent felt drowsy most of  the time
• The Great Indian Sleep Scorecard 2019, Wakefit’s annual sleep survey, validated this, by revealing that 80 percent of  people  felt  sleepy at work 1-3 days a week

Work-related stress is known to lead to drowsiness and drop in efficiency at work. This is posing a huge problem to India’s workforce. But what is the root cause?

Work timings, commute, and drowsiness on the rise!

• 55 percent of people started work between 9 to 11 AM but 34 percent leaving much after 7 PM, highlighting increased work hours in the modern-day
• 1 in 4 respondents felt commuting  to work hampered their sleep patterns the most
• 68 percent of people felt 1 PM to 4 PM, i.e. the time after lunch is the drowsiest time of their workday Long work hours and long commute compound people’s workplace wellness woes and impacts productivity. The survey shows that the morning is the most efficient time of the day when one has slept well and is rejuvenated.

Here’s how people try to beat drowsiness and lethargy at work

• Drink a cup of tea or coffee -34%
• Take a short walk - 32%
• Wash my face -13%
• Start a non-work conversation with colleagues - 10%

While coffee or tea continue to be popular choices to ward off sleep, there seems to be a rising awareness towards the need for an active lifestyle, with walks also gaining popularity.  But can there be a more sustainable solution?

Nap rooms could be our true saviour at work?

• 70 percent of people did not have a nap room in their workplace, indicating  a huge latent need
• 86 percent of respondents strongly believed that a nap room at work will increase  their  productivity
• 33 percent of people want their companies to get a nap room to increase focus on work wellness Research has found that taking a nap for 20-30 minutes increases short term alertness among people. While nutrition and exercise are popular work wellness themes around the world, nap room installation can ensure that sleep its due credit in companies’ employee wellness programs.

Other issues people face at the workplace

• 70 percent of respondents agreed they suffered from back pain at work
• 1 in 4 respondents thought ergonomic chairs would significantly help in making work wellness more impactful

In light of these findings, Wakefit’s ‘Right to Work Naps’ initiative aims to highlight the positive impact of sleep wellness in employees’ health, well-being and productivity at work. To further fortify this endeavor of making sleep a healthy and energy-boosting exercise at workplaces, Wakefit has pledged to install nap rooms at corporates and startups in order to make the business community aware of the role sleep plays in one’s professional and personal growth.

“With levels of stress amongst working professionals at an all-time high in the modern-day, it is necessary for organizations and employees to prioritize sleep wellness. Sleep deprivation has been linked to hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, fatigue, and several other lifestyle issues. It is also known to impact productivity at work. Given the rising sleep-related issues in our country, we felt it was imperative for us to take action and encourage corporates and employees to rally for nap rooms at their workspaces. We are delighted to work with Rentomojo and Cloudnine, as we believe they are the frontrunners in pioneering a sleep revolution with us that will help maintain work-life balance amongst employees.” said Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, co-founder and  Director of Wakefit.co.