Increased support for napping at work

Welnis, an office fit-out company focused on bringing human wellbeing into the built environment, and SleepFit, a company of sleep specialists providing workplace programs on sleep, have collaborated on developing a solution for sleep and fatigue management in workplaces across Australia. Welnis SleepFit amalgamates the design, construction and fit-out of workplace rest facilities with a suite of programs that fuse technology with medical expertise to transform employee performance, safety and overall sleep health.

Welnis CEO and founder Nigel Hobbs said that there has been a significant increase in the demand for both Sleep Pods and Sleep Programs as employers and employees alike become more aware of the cost of sleep deprivation to human health and workplace performance.

“Nap rooms and quiet spaces are becoming a more common addition to office interiors globally,” said Hobbs. “From the latest in sleep pods through to fit-outs focused on napping and quiet spaces — organisations are realising the importance of keeping employees happy, healthy and well rested.”

According to SleepFit CEO Melissa Webster, the statistics around sleep issues in Australia are alarming. “For something we do every day, it’s amazing how many of us struggle with sleep,” she said. “One in five of us get less than six hours sleep a night, and that’s just not enough. In Australia, 30% of people report significant sleep problems in any one year. Employees are often unable to fix sleep problems themselves, because they may not realise they have an underlying problem. It is often misdiagnosed, and fixing it can be costly, time-consuming and frustrating under traditional delivery models.”

Extensive research carried out by Ron Kessler and his team at Harvard Medical School indicates that sleep disorders are the single greatest contributor to lost working hours. In fact, sleep disorders trump depression and neck and back pain as a cause of absenteeism.

“It is high time we literally woke up to the health risks, such as heart disease, depression, stroke, diabetes and obesity, associated with not getting enough sleep,” said Hobbs.

Companies investing in nap pods from companies such as MetroNaps include KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers and SES, and fitness clubs such as Virgin Active. In addition, Edith Cowan University in Perth and the University of Wollongong are using these products.