Despite what your dirty mind might be thinking, this hashtag is actually quite literal.
Our CEO, Boris, is well known for his humorous ideas and creative (remember #TickleChallenge?).
At TNW USA 2015, Boris and Jason Fried, Founder and CEO of BaseCamp, spoke a bit about the advantages of being well rested and relaxed in your job. Jason called it “the ultimate productivity tip – sleep more.”
Sleeping well is the best productivity tool.
That seems contradictory to what most entrepreneurs brag about – don’t sleep, work harder, go faster – but Boris has been napping regularly for years, noticing vast improvements in his attention and disposition. So he decided to invite the whole team for a nap and #sleepingwiththeboss was born.
Through this slightly risqué hashtag, we learned the benefits of a good night’s sleep and how a quick nap can be refreshing and beneficial.
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After a short presentation of facts and tips on sleeping, as well as sharing his favorite apps to track sleeping cycles (you can access the slideshow on TNW SlideShare), we all settled in and began counting sheep… or, rather, dollar signs.
But of course we don’t want to keep all this information to ourselves! At TNW, we’re all about sharing tips we believe in and use ourselves to improve our day-to-day lives and workspaces. We hope the below info will convince you to nap at work:
- Sleeping less than seven hours a night can reduce life expectancy. You may think you’re living more by staying awake longer, but you’d be wrong.
- Just believing that you slept well is enough. Confidence in your quality of sleep improves performance, regardless of actual quantity. How many times have you partied a bit too long, fallen into bed a bit later than you intended, but still got up at the sound of the alarm feeling refreshed? Yeah, like that.
- Studies show that students at school with later start times perform better. Probably the most popular excuse for people at TNW who never turn up before 9:30 am. But…
- People who don’t get enough sleep can gain two pounds per week. Also, they are more likely to have a bigger appetite (because of lower leptin levels) – sleeping well is an important part in many diets!
- A nice hack for a good nap is the espresso/coffee trick. This one’s a little counterintuitive, but drink a nice cup o’ mud just before your nap, and you’ll supercharge that sucker. The caffeine takes around 15 minutes to quick in, so it wakes you up just in time, avoiding the more than 20 minutes-grogginess mark.
I have to admit that after those fifteen minutes, I really did feel more energized and focused and I will definitely make #SleepingWithTheBoss a habit.
Does your company encourage napping? What other productivity tips do you use?
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