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Napping is for toddlers - and office workers

If you occasionally feel your eyes flutter shut while staring at your e-mail inbox, or let a few zzz’s slip out during a particularly long conference call, rest assured that you’re not alone.Nearly one quarter of office workers admitted to napping on the job, according to a recent survey conducted by Braun Research for Philips Consumer Lifestyle.And men were nearly twice as likely as women to

If you occasionally feel your eyes flutter shut while staring at your e-mail inbox, or let a few zzz’s slip out during a particularly long conference call, rest assured that you’re not alone.

Nearly one quarter of office workers admitted to napping on the job, according to a recent survey conducted by Braun Research for Philips Consumer Lifestyle.

And men were nearly twice as likely as women to take a snooze while working.

This is not exactly surprising news, given some of the other admissions the survey respondents made about their sleeping habits.

The phone survey of 1,000 white-collar workers found that a whopping 85 percent of them admitted that they’d be more productive if they slept more. More than half said they don’t consistently get a good night’s sleep.

Some employers are even waking up to the benefits of napping.

Bloomberg Businessweek reported last fall that companies such as Google and Nike now have areas where employees can rest during the day. In New York City there are even “napping spas” where people can have a 20-minute rest for $15.

There’s plenty of research that shows more sleep can boost health and productivity. Still, finding the time for a good night’s sleep can be difficult, especially for people juggling work and home life.

A recent paper on workplace flexibility found that working moms with an employed spouse get 3.2 fewer hours of sleep each week than their stay-at-home counterparts.