Should There Be a LEED Nap Room Credit?

If sleeping on the job is a "No No"... Why would office nap rooms even be a consideration to add to the LEED rating systems?

Simply because, according to Dr. Jame Maas, sleep expert, former professor at Cornell University, and the man who coined the phrase “power nap”... sleep deprivation “makes you stupid, clumsy, stressed out, unhealthy, and will shorten your life.”

What is a Power Nap?

A power nap is a short sleep that ends before slow-wave sleep sets in... usually between 10 and 30 minutes.

Because of its brevity and concentrated nature, a power nap has the ability to restore the brain functionality of the napper and can promote performance, memory recall, and learning.

All of these are important aspects of productivity.

Indeed, according to a Harvard study, employees' lack of sleep is costing companies up to $63.2 billion in lost productivity on the job from workers...

So it seems to make sense to provide napping space at the office.

Companies Embracing the Power Nap

Since it is impossible to increase the number of work hours per day, major companies have embraced napping on the job to increase the energy and abilities of their workers.

Companies like Google, Huffington Post, and AOL are at the cutting edge of this work place productivity advancement... And as a result, when it comes to productivity per worker, their competitors may be at a disadvantage if they fail to understand that workers that the healthier their workers are, the more productive they are.

Employees are often the greatest expense for employers, so considerations for smart building-related investments should include the addition of nap rooms to enhance employee productivity.

Not an Option

Even if it was an option, unfortunately, most of us are not comfortable with the concept of napping on the job.

We are in what could be potentially the most competitive work environment in history. As such we may feel compelled to do just the opposite and avoid sleep to work longer hours... We are relieved to have jobs in the first place.

However more hours at work leads to less time for sleep and insufficient sleep takes a substantial toll on performance... Which could lead to a lay off.

The benefits of sleep, particularly short naps, are clear... So should nap rooms be considered in future versions of the LEED rating systems?

Is Napping Green?

It may not be immediately obvious, but just as telecommuting is a sustainable practice, so is napping on the job.

As the benefits of power naps become more accepted by management in companies across the country, more and more work places will begin to incorporate nap spaces into their offices.

Reciprocally, USGBC should be quick to point this out, as they do already in quantifying the benefits of a healthy indoor environment with their new health-focused credits in LEED v4.

If nap rooms were part of LEED certification, would it have a halo effect of encouraging more companies to attempt LEED certification?

It could make sense for employees and employers alike.

Employees tend to seek employment opportunities where they will feel the most appreciated and most productive... Seeking office space with amenities like nap rooms would make sense... And employers would benefit from increased productivity through employees' daily power naps.

A nap room credit will allow the LEED certification process look at a building holistically to include the productivity of not only the physical building, but also the people within it.

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Photo credit: Joe Loong