EconReads
Donate

The Economics of Sleep

Workplaces, Naps and Productivity

Some firms provide nap rooms and encourage reasonable hours, since tired workers make more errors and burn out faster.

Rest can raise output.

Long hours

Very long hours often bring diminishing returns.

Naps

Short naps improve alertness, and some workplaces have introduced nap rooms.

Burnout

Chronic exhaustion can lead to mistakes and turnover.

Culture

Celebrating overwork can hurt long-term performance.

A nap room

An office provides a quiet room where staff can rest for twenty minutes.

Believing longer hours always mean more output

Productivity per hour falls.

Key takeaways
  • Long hours have diminishing returns.
  • Naps help alertness.
  • Burnout is costly.
  • Culture matters.
1 min read

No recording for this one yet - EconReader can read it aloud for you.

Welcome to EconReads

This site is made for visually impaired learners, so our read-aloud reader is already switched on to help you explore hands-free.

You're in control - turn it off any time using the Reader button at the top of the page.

EconReader Ready