by John West

Napping at work

analysis
Feb 7, 20071 min

<p>In a move sure to attract the world's hollow-eyed IT professionals <em>en masse</em>, French Health Minister Xavier Bertrand considers making a workday nap part of everyone's regular day, ""Why not a nap at work? It can't be a taboo subject."</p> <p>"Why not?" indeed, Mr. Bertrand. "Why not?" indeed.</p>

Ahhh, France. Home of fine red wines, a taste for pungent cheese, and the 35-hour work week. And, erstwhile birthplace of “freedom fries.”

As if all that weren’t enough, now we hear news of a new miracle being born across the pond: a sanctioned workplace nap.

Evidently France’s health ministry is quite concerned about the sleeping problems that 1 in 3 French people suffer from, and they’re spending $9 million a year to elevate public awareness of the ills of too little sleep.

But, in a move that has me considering whether I should pack the family up and head east, the Health Minister wants to study whether naps should be an official part of the workday:

“Why not a nap at work? It can’t be a taboo subject,” Health Minister Xavier Bertrand said Monday. He called for further studies and said he would promote on-the-job naps if they prove useful.