How getting more sleep could boost your salary

            Sleep has become a big deal in working life. Sleeping is no longer seen as a sign of weakness among competitive colleagues. Apple introduced a Night Shift feature on its devices earlier this year, as consumers recognised that stimuli such as your screen’s backlight can affect your sleep quality.

            Research shows that more sleep can lead to us earning more money. A US study has found that in areas where the sun sets earlier, people sleep for longer – and this translates into higher earnings. In the long term, just one extra hour of sleep a week increases wages by 4.9%. So if you live in an area that gets darker earlier, you should be richer. But don’t move house just yet – the higher wages correspond almost exactly with inflated house prices. As Jeffrey Shrader, one of the authors of the study, puts it: “If you want to sleep more, there are better ways to do it than moving house – just buy better curtains.”

            This goes against conventional economics. Each extra hour of sleep should be taken away from working time. So how can sleeping earn you money? The answer is productivity. “The biggest effects come through employees who work on commission,” says Shrader. “If you go to work well rested, you are livelier and happier, and can sell more to increase your earnings.”

            Even small amounts of sleep deprivation can have large effects. Another study found that sleeping six hours a night for two weeks produced the same results in cognitive tests as being totally sleep-deprived for up to two days straight. But a mid-afternoon nap can help. “Naps are great,” says sleep psychologist Dr Hans Van Dongen. If you struggle to get eight hours of sleep a night, a siesta can have a “reset” effect, and your productivity improves afterwards. “Roughly speaking, an hour’s nap can make up for an hour in lost sleep at night.”

            So, the introduction of nap pods at Google’s headquarters does have some science behind it. Although once you start sleeping at work, what is the point in going home at all? Even short naps of up to half an hour can partially offset the productivity lost from chronic sleep deprivation. You snooze, you win.

            But the most important workplace revolution would be much more flexible hours. Most of us fall into two broad “chronotype” categories: morning and evening types. Rigidly early start times at work are fine for larks, but a third of us are night owls, who are likely to earn up to 5% less as a result of being tired at work.

            Lack of sleep has already been shown to be worse for productivity than being overweight or underweight. So, why are you still reading this? You should go back to bed.

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and              write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

a)     The best way to get more sleep is to move to a new home.

b)     Sleeping more makes employees produce more.

c)     The less you sleep at night, the longer you need to sleep during the day to get the same effect.

d)     Google is about to introduce places in their offices for the workers to have a nap.

e)     You may earn less if you are a nocturnal person.

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words   and definitions given.

a)     characteristic (par.1) 

b)     salary (par.2) 

c)     to remove (par.3) 

d)     to make better (par.4) 

e)     to recompense (par.5) 

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text

1.     You sleeping quality…

a)     affects your colleagues at work.

b)     is said to be related to being overweighted..

c)     is affected by how you use technology at night.

2.     Productivity is linked to….

a)     mainly to your weight.

b)     only to sleeping

c)     both your sleep and your weight.

3.     In places where it gets dark earlier….

a)     people sleep more hours.

b)     houses are cheaper.

c)     you’d better use curtains.

4.     Working shifts….

a)     Are more tiring for workers.

b)     are the change needed.

c)     are only for nocturnal people.

Question 4: [4 POINTS] Write a short essay (about 120-150 words) on the following topic:

What makes a job the perfect one for you?

KEY

Question 1: [2,5 POINTS] Indicate whether the following statements are true or false and  write down which part of the text justifies your answer.

      

       a) FALSE “But don’t move house just yet”

       b) TRUE “So how can sleeping earn you money? The answer is productivity”

       c) FALSE “Roughly speaking, an hour’s nap can make up for an hour in lost sleep at night”

       d) FALSE “, the introduction of nap pods at Google’s headquarters does have some science behind it.”

       e) TRUE “but a third of us are night owls, who are likely to earn up to 5% less as a result of being tired at work”

      

Question 2: [1,5 POINTS] Find words or phrases in the text that correspond to the words   and definitions given.     

a)      feature

b)      wage(s)

c)      (to) take(n) away

d)     to improve

e)     to offset

Question 3: [2 POINTS] Choose the most suitable answer (a, b or c) according to the text.

1)     c) is affected by how you use technology at night.

2)     c) both your sleep and your weight.

3)     a) people sleep more hours.

4)     b) are the change needed