“Inemuri,” the Japanese Art of Taking Power Naps at Work and Other Public Places

I find the study by the University of Michigan (cited at 1:09) interesting that Japanese workers slept less than 7:30 hours on average. That doesn't seem to be an outrageously low number. As a matter of fact, in the first year or so after my son was born, I regularly slept much less than that, and not just for some weeks.

I personally like sleeping, but I know at least two people who don't and try to minimize the amount of sleep they take. I'm sure one of them does quite a bit less than 7:30 a night on average.

I lived in SE Asia for over 7 years, and it was customary to see construction workers, and managers asleep on benches or cardboard during what would be tea break time, or lunch. I have mild insomnia, and I cannot nap as much as I try. I have fell asleep on the subway before in the past, and I felt great after a 20 minute snooze; I had a friend seated next to me, so no fear of getting rolled (NYC subways in the 70s and 80s)!

One of the times I was visiting Tokyo I saw tons of people sleeping in upper floors of fast food restaurants at night. We're those people practicing inemuri or were they homeless?

I once gave a presentation to a board where one of its members was Japanese. That man nodded off about five minutes in, and I later was made to understand this was perfectly acceptable.

Still, quite harrowing if the presentation you're giving is important to you.

I’m in the US, and the problem here is that if you sleep in the office you’re perceived as lazy, regardless of whether you actually are or not.

I need to do this right now. Where's my office sofa.

I really do wish more US companies encouraged power naps, they are provably good for productivity.