Is the Secret to Success Sleeping on the Job

â€Å"Lunch was from 11:30 a.m. to about 1:40 p.m. The cafeteria was right next to the office so employees would usually select their food, sit, eat, and be done within 30 minutes. Then everyone would return to the office to find the lights off, meaning it was nap time. About half would sleep with their arms and heads resting on their desks, and the other half would use cots,  including  blankets and pillows. When it was time for work to start up again, the receptionist at the front desk (who was not allowed to sleep) would very softly turn on one of two songs – one of them being the theme song from The Lion King. It played for about one minute, with the volume becoming increasingly louder. When the music finally stopped, the lights would come on and it was time to start work again. Mind you, this is one of the largest companies in China.† For Matt Arnold, one of the biggest adjustments to the real world, after having just graduated from business school, was getting used to his new company’s afternoon nap ritual. He hadn’t faced a mandatory nap time since kindergarten, so a scheduled siesta for grownups that went beyond a mere 40 winks was a big shift. Arnold had studied in China while working toward his undergraduate degree, and had completed a semester of full-immersion at Fudan University in Shanghai during his MBA program. He spoke Mandarin fluently, and had diligently honed his cultural competency for doing business in the country. But fresh out of business school, and working at a state owned enterprise (SOE) in Shenzhen, he hadn’t anticipated the amount of time and the level of ceremony devoted to the post lunch nap (which continues to be common at many SOEs). One might think that a state-sponsored, quasi-mandatory, mid-day slumber would be a good thing, right? Arnold observed that the afternoon nap ritual was not all positive, even if it was traditional. â€Å"When people wake up, the last thing they want to do is slide right back into work. It takes 30 minutes or so to get back into the swing of it.† He said he wouldn’t advocate a workplace nap time for everyone, but would champion a policy that allowed for employees to take a brief slumber during the day if they truly needed it. If youve got a demanding work schedule, sometimes a catnap is the perfect solution for an energy slump. More companies – where nap times are not so traditional – are also beginning to acknowledge that happy, healthy and productive employees are also well-rested ones. Some are instituting policies that allow for daytime shut-eye to help employees improve their productivity. And most of us know this from firsthand experience: there’s nothing more certain to impede our productivity than sleep deprivation, be that slight (an hour) or more severe (several hours). Our brains have to fight harder to focus and remain alert when we’re running low on sleep, and our capacity for creativity takes a nosedive. Consider, too, that extreme sleep deprivation has been used as a torture device to menace people into spilling the beans during hostile interrogations. Sleep deprivation is serious stuff! Even experiencing a minor sleep debt can have negative consequences. â€Å"After only one night of poor sleep, people feel lousy†¦But accumulated sleep losscan result in poorer concentration, poorer memory, and slowed reaction times,† wrote Jann Gumbiner in her article â€Å"Why Sleep Is Important.† Gumbiner also notes: â€Å"Sleepy people make mistakes,† resulting in very bad things, like accidents and medical errors. Clearly, we need our sleep, but – â€Å"Most people really don’t get enough sleep,† according to Dr. Charles Czeisler in the video â€Å"Why Sleep Matters.† â€Å"We are a society that’s burning the candle at both ends.† In the same video, Dr. Lawrence J. Epstein sounds off: â€Å"We need to re-think how we prioritize sleep; it is one of the basic building blocks of good health. So what can you do if you don’t have access to a nap room or a MetroNap Energy Pod during the day? You can start your very own ritual at night. In his article â€Å"How Much Sleep Do You Really Need to Work Productively,† Leo Widrich writes: â€Å"When it comes to creating a sleep ritual, one of the key things is to have the last activity completely disengage you from the tasks of the rest of your day. Widrich’s suggestions include: a 20-minute walk at the same time every day, using the same route; reading a fiction book to remove yourself from the realities of the present moment; and to follow up your wake-up time with an immediate activity, like having breakfast or going to the gym. What he doesn’t suggest: lying in bed and hitting the snooze button over and over and over. His final piece of advice (which he borrowed from Jim Loehr and Tony Schwarz’s book, The Power of Full Engagement ): â€Å"be tired in every dimension†¦for the highest quality of sleep, you need to be drained, both physically and mentally.† So don’t forget to hit the gym, yoga mat, or jogging trail. Not only will you benefit from the exercise itself, but it will ensure that you’re tired at an earlier hour, allowing more time for a full night of sleep. If that’s not enough, here are some insightful words from Robert Stickgold, a sleep expert at Harvard’s Medical School: [the] â€Å"skills that you learned during the day are being refined and improved while you sleep. That’s why you have to get sleep the first night after you learn [new] things, or it’s too late. The brain actually takes that information and sifts through it and makes sense out of it in a way that we couldn’t while we were awake.† It’s not enough to slog through your finance book during the day, or to learn the names of new co-workers while you’re awake; your brain needs valuable, restorative sleep to process and cement all that you’ve learned. Without it, your hard work during the day could be in vain. And David Randall, in his article â€Å"Rethinking Sleep,† had this to say: â€Å"Imagine a near future in which military commanders can know how much total sleep an individual soldier has had over a 24-hour time frame thanks to wristwatch-size sleep monitors. After consulting computer models that predict how decision-making abilities decline with fatigue, a soldier could then be ordered to take a nap to prepare for an approaching mission.† Take a nap? Is that an order? We should all be so commanded. Perhaps that point in the future is not too far off. We are beginning to see 21st century leaders respond to the call that employees are more productive and creative when they’ve prioritized sleep – and they are re-structuring traditional work spaces to accommodate that objective. Perhaps nap rooms are not ubiquitous now, but it’s probably just a matter of time. Because when we operate under a cloud of sleep deprivation, it feels like our brains and bodies move at the same rate as a ponderous, three-toed sloth. But on the days we are well rested, we feel like superheroes. We feel strong, sharp, and undaunted – with or without The Lion King soundtrack cued up in the background. Photo courtesy of Nathan Jones. Make the most of what your career has to offer with a Masters in International Business from Hult. To learn more, take a look at our blog My Masters in International Business: Looking back on a life-changing year, or give your employability a huge boost with an MBA in international business. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to explore everything about the business world, the future, and yourself. Related posts Academics Beyond (narrow) business concepts: â€Å"Soft† skills turn out to be critical skills News Building success: Dual Degree students win at USASBE Community How going beyond business at Hult helped me launch my company Admissions Accepted Students Weekend: A weekend to remember Careers Career mapping: How to become an executive in the next 5 years 0 Thought leadership How to prepare for an uncertain future in a world of AI Instagram Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .