Photo: Vlada Karpovich from Pexels — **Photo:** Vlada Karpovich from Pexels

Restless days and sleepless nights are no laughing matter. Three years ago, you could count me among the 68% of Americans who say they have difficulty sleeping. I was working as an economist with the World Bank, and, thanks to an increasingly demanding travel schedule, I was suffering from chronic insomnia. I’d be suffering for months at a time before I could get a handle on my sleep schedule. I was burning out, fast, and I knew that something needed to change.

Getting real rest—the kind of rest where you wake up feeling refreshed rather than exhausted—is crucial to living a full and healthy life. In my search for a natural sleep solution, I finally tried a weighted blanket, and everything changed.

Weighted blankets work by delivering deep touch pressure (the act of applying even pressure all over the body), which is scientifically proven to reduce stress and anxiety, and promote calm. I had finally found the natural solution that I’d been searching for, but I found that in all of the weighted blanket products on the market, something critical—design, quality, sustainability, or breathability—had been compromised. So, I did what any entrepreneurially-inclined person would do: I set out to make a new one!

“Our culture is shifting away from wearing career burnout as a badge and embracing the fact that taking time to rest is beneficial to all aspects of our lives.”

I founded my company Bearaby with the mission to destigmatize sleep, make naps guilt-free, and champion rest as a non-negotiable part of a healthy lifestyle. When you make space for employees to incorporate the practices that help them feel refreshed and focused, there is a direct benefit to the quality of their work. I encourage employees to operate on the sleep schedule that allows them to be their most rested. Some people are early birds and some are night owls, so why force anyone to conform to a schedule that might not be best for their overall well-being? That’s why I’ve implemented core working hours from 10 am to 1 pm each day. Outside of that window, employees can make their own schedules. It gives our night owls the option to sleep in if they prefer, and our early risers a bit of a break in the afternoon to exercise, meditate, or even nap! And I’d encourage other leaders to adopt similar policies.

We’ve seen clear benefits from our company work style, and we’ve found that napping and flexibility have positively contributed to our success as a brand. We understand that self-care looks different for everyone, and we’ve found that a flexible work schedule that allows personal practices to be seamlessly incorporated into the workday helps us to stay balanced and creative as a team. Making sleep a priority can have immeasurable benefits for your organization. By meeting the unique needs of your staff, and being mindful of their physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, you can foster a positive environment where individuals can truly thrive.

Before the pandemic, the connection between stress and anxiety and sleep health was already well documented. But now, one year in, the impact of mental health on sleep is more visible than ever. The pandemic has taken an enormous toll on our physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, and uncertainty and fear have become constant companions for most people. In our busy, demanding, and increasingly complex world, we must prioritize relaxation and rest for both personal and professional wellbeing. Our culture is shifting away from wearing career burnout as a badge and embracing the fact that taking time to rest is beneficial to all aspects of our lives. It’s not just about our personal health—restful practices are key to producing better work, and increasing productivity. That’s why my modern workplace solution is the comeback of the power nap.

“It’s not just about our personal health—restful practices are key to producing better work, and increasing productivity.”

With our increasingly flexible schedules and working from home as the new normal, people are discovering the health benefits of taking an afternoon nap during the day. Some of the world's top health experts have praised the power nap as a way to boost productivity and efficiency in the workspace. Napping can be widely restorative and help to improve alertness, performance, creativity, and memory function.

As an entrepreneur and founder, I believe it’s important to let employees take the breaks they need for their own mental health and well-being. A beautiful community of nap-vocates is also flourishing alongside us. We’re delighted to see a shift in the negative stigma around napping. Instead, it’s becoming a shareable trend, with people proudly showcasing their self-care regimen on their social feeds.

I hope that by building a company that prioritizes individual health and the health of the planet, we’re one step closer to a calmer and more collected world.

"I believe it’s important to let employees take the breaks they need for their own mental health and well-being."

—Kathrin Hamm, Founder and CEO, Bearaby

About the author: Kathrin Hamm is the founder and CEO of Bearaby, an award-winning weighted blanket company on a mission to free the world of sweaty, plastic-filled weighted blankets. Named one of Entrepreneur’s Powerful Women of 2020, Kathrin’s approach to simple and sustainable self-care without compromise has woken up a tired industry. She aims to destigmatize sleep, make naps guilt-free, and champion rest as a crucial part of a healthy lifestyle.

It was Kathrin’s personal sleep struggle that inspired her to launch a game-changing product with the brand’s flagship Napper in 2018. During a robust career as an economist with the World Bank, her on-the-road lifestyle began to take a toll on her sleep, leading to chronic insomnia issues. Through the science of deep touch pressure, she was able to sleep better, naturally and without medication. When she couldn’t find a weighted blanket that was breathable, stylish, or sustainable, she knew she had to set out to create one.

Since then, Bearaby’s signature knitted blankets have garnered a devout fan following and international notoriety, winning both The Red Dot Design Award and Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Award in 2020. The company was also selected as the Sleep Foundation’s top pick for best weighted blanket of 2021.