Japanese firms encourage workers to sleep on the job

It's a daily struggle known to office workers the world over: a productive morning rewarded with a decent lunch, and then, the leaden eyelids and urge to snatch 40 winks.

In Japan, where workers sleep less than in other countries, companies are encouraging employees to sleep on the job, convinced it leads to better performance.

Okuta, a home renovation firm near Tokyo, allows its employees to take a 20-minute power nap at their desks or in the staff lounge. Introduced two years ago, it has proved a huge hit.

"If I use a calculator when I'm sleepy, I have to double-check my work for fear of making mistakes, so it takes longer," Ikuko Yamada, who works in accounts, told the Yo miuri Shimbun newspaper. "I think my work performance has improved since I started taking naps."

Hugo Inc, an internet consulting company in Osaka, has a flexible approach: employees can take a 30-minute siesta any time between 1pm and 4pm.

Japan's workers have more reason than most to give in to the urge. According to a poll by the US National Sleep Foundation, Japanese workers sleep for six hours and 22 minutes on work nights - less than in any other country.