Wake up and get some sleep: Reviewing workplace napping and charting future directions

Abstract

Although research demonstrates the importance of napping for health and well-being within work settings, the topic has resulted in limited empirical investigations, fragmented literary results, and an elusive understanding of whether napping should be normalized in the workplace. Also, what needs to be clarified are the benefits of workplace napping (WN) and the role of human resource managers in promoting the practice of WN. A systematic, narrative synthesis approach is used to review the existing WN literature, conceptualize WN, and discuss its benefits for employee relations, productivity, and the role of human resource managers on WN. Finally, based on this conceptual backdrop, future research questions are proposed that help pave the way for the normalization of WN.