The article referenced below makes a joke on the back of U.S. Vice-President Cheney to the effect that the latter has been caught many times falling asleep during important events. That drop of humor, however, was meant to lay the foundation for a more serious issue, which is that we all tend to “slow down” between 2 and 4 p.m. That’s why, in many countries, workers actually have the right to take a nap. Yes, a “right!” I’m not talking about Mexico, but countries like China also.

That being said, instead of having recourse to short-sighted tips to stay awake like poking your arm with your pen to wake you up, taking it upon yourself to transcribe what people say during the meeting to keep your mind active, taking a walk before a meeting to prevent the inexcusable, or preparing yourself a nice cup of coffee at least 40 minutes before a meeting (yes, it takes 40 minutes for the caffeine to take effect)… maybe we should include into our daily routine a moment where we allow ourselves to actually take a short “sleep at work.”

Nodding Off on the Job: How Not to Pull a Cheney, The Globe and Mail

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