It seems we now need naps at work.

A recently published study from Indiana’s Ball State University, which examined self-reported sleep duration of 150,000 people, found the numbers of respondents who got seven hours of sleep per night or less rose to 35.6% in 2018 from 30.9% in 2010. About half of the respondents who were police officers and healthcare workers reported not getting enough sleep.

— Should workers be allowed to nap at work?

Is there more to this story?

Are there any other causes of sleep deprivation? Perhaps mobile phone use? The rise in sleep deprivation since 2010 is eerily close to the rise in mobile phone use, especially with the increased use of social media.

How many times do you find yourself surfing on your phone in bed?

It’s a terrible habit that I’ve been trying to break to give myself more sleep. Not only that, but I’m trying to set a good example for my kids. They need their sleep even more than I do.

Even so, if sleep deprivation is not related to this, there’s another argument. If you are allowed to nap at work, then why not offer employees a small reduction in hours so that they can get the right amount of sleep?

We all have to take responsibility for getting the right amount of sleep. However, in this age of always on technology, there has to be a way in which we can get the work-life balance right so that people shouldn’t need to nap at work.