July 12, 2006
Midday power naps big in Japan
The latest fad to sweep sleep-deprived Japan is midday naps after lunch, right on the desk or at any number of new nap salons.
A Washington Post correspondent said Japanese department stores and catalogues now sell "desk pillows," while other workers use plush towels to lay across their arms for in-office napping.
"When we see people napping during lunchtime, we think, 'They are getting ready to put 100 percent in during the afternoon,' " said Paul Nolasco, a Toyota spokesman in Tokyo.
"Nobody frowns upon it. And no one hesitates to take one (a nap) during lunchtime either.
"Naohisa Uchimura, a sleep specialist at Kurume University in southern Japan, said Japanese workers get an average of between just five and six hours of sleep a night.
"People are realizing that our lack of sleep is actually slowing us down," Uchimura said. "To be in top shape well into the evening hours at the office, you need to take a nap.
"Meanwhile, researchers have suggested that nappers not let their afternoon snooze last more than 30 minutes, or they could fall into a deeper sleep and awaken feeling more groggy than refreshed.
United Press International - NewsTrack - Midday snooze fad sweeps Japan
