What do these people have in common?
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John F. Kennedy Lyndon B. Johnson
Thomas Edison Napoleon Bonaparte
Johannes Brahms Jim Lehrer
Ronald Reagan Albert Einstein,
Leonardo Da Vinci Winston Churchill
John D. Rockefeller Gene Autry
Eleanor Roosevelt Connie Mack
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It is believed by many that they were/are all nappers
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- Winston Churchill – said he needed his afternoon nap to cope with his responsibilities.
- Thomas Edison attributed his tremendous amount of energy to sleeping whenever he wanted to.
- John D. Rockefeller took a nap every afternoon in his office.
- Eleanor Roosevelt was known to take a nap before a speaking engagement.
- William J. Clinton retired to his private quarters every afternoon at 3:00 for a 30-minute nap.
- Connie Macktook a nap before every game.
- Gene Autry used to take an hour nap in his dressing room between performances.
- Ronald Reagan has the ultimate napping reputation even though his wife denies that he had a napping habit.
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According to the National Sleep Foundations’ 2000 Poll, 67% of Americans are sleep-deprived.
So why do so many Americans see naps as unacceptable behavior unless you’re sick or injured? It is neither a sign of laziness nor
something one should do only as a leisure activity.
Bill and Camille Anthony, authors of The Art of Napping at Work, began a National Workplace Napping Day each year the day after
the return of daylight savings time. This helps us make up for that lost hour. Have you ever heard of the “Seven Habits of Highly
Effective Workplace Nappers,” also by the Anthony’s? They are out there doing their darndest to encourage employers to allow
sleeping on the job – well napping anyway.
And their getting through to some companies - some have begun to realize the benefits of napping in the workplace. Would you love to
rest your head for twenty-winks in the middle of the afternoon? Then perhaps you should email this page to your boss?
The famous names at the top of this page are excellent nap models. They teach us that to be at our best at work and on the road
requires mental and physical alertness. Daytime fatigue and excessive daytime sleepiness can keep us from being at our best. For
these famous people and many others in society, at least part of the solution is an afternoon nap. For quite a few, part of the solution is
better sleep hygiene. Visit my Resources page for a detailed list of Sleep Hygiene tips to improve your sleep.
“If the third man on the Exxon Valdez had taken a nap on the evening that he was on duty, the company would have saved $10 billion” (Napping at
work: You Snooze, You Win!)
A local television network did a news piece about a company in Kansas City that has small tents set up for employee naps. That
company reported that employees are more creative, productive, and accurate in their work. They also believe that morale and job
satisfaction climb with rested employees.
Craig Yarde runs Yarde Metals in Bristol, Conn. He created a napping room for all 220 employees. When they feel sleepy they can go
into the napping room and catch some zzzzz's without fear of recrimination.
Microtek Lab, Inc. “has an area in it's library with a couch and soft lighting for workers who need to catch naps. But President S.C. Lee says the room
is rarely used, a possible sign of workers reluctance to publicly acknowledge sleepiness. 'People use it if they're feeling ill or if they had a really bad
night' he says, adding 'taking naps seems kind of odd in this culture.'”
42 Consulting “recently set up a queen-size bed in an upstairs loft for employees, who often work 10-12 hours a day. The company says it's a response
to the bad eating habits, lack of exercise and sleep they've noticed when employees work long periods nonstop. The bed has proven so popular that users
now have to reserve it on a sign-up list.”
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