Seoul, Korea – The Ministry of Labor recently issued “Guidelines for Responding to Heat Waves in the Workplace.” The guidelines recommend that in case of a heat-wave alert, all outdoor activities are to be canceled and employees given time for a nap.

This is because as hot weather continues and temperatures max out during the afternoon, people feel lethargic.

For summers with high night temperatures that do not allow for proper sleep, sleep-related issues may threaten health and lower work efficiency.

Appropriate amounts of napping can decrease drowsiness and tiredness at work, increase efficiency, and even reduce stress and hypertension, leading to a calmer state of mind.

However, more than 30 minutes of mid-day shut-eye can lead to a deeper state of sleep, which is difficult to awake from, disrupting regular biorhythms and disturbing regular nighttime sleeping.

Therefore, nap times should be timed with respect to biorhythms, taken when the body is least awake around 1:00 to 3:00 pm for about 15 to 30 minutes of REM sleep. It goes without saying that a comfortable place for the nap will increase the efficiency of sleep.


Source: JTN (Original article in Korean)
Photo from JTN DB
Translated by Abe Jung / Korea.com