Inemuri: A Peek Into The Fascinating Japanese Work Nap Ritual

Japanese culture has a very interesting take on time. Inemuri encapsulates this idea rather brilliantly. Inemuri translates to “sleeping while present,” which means to take short naps in between tasks to demonstrate your dedication towards productivity in work. 

Inemuri is so culturally ingrained that it is almost a strategic approach, treating time as a variable where you can simply fit in rest without compromising on your productivity. 

What is Inemuri? Why is it prevalent in Japan?

Translated literally as “sleeping on duty”, Inemuri is the Japanese art of sleeping in public. Be it the subway, classrooms or at your work desk, these spaces become your de facto bedroom. You truly have the freedom to sleep wherever you want, whenever you want. Nobody will call you out or fire you! Well, not in Japan at least!

Sounds liberating, right? We imagine it is too.

Inemuri is actually a very common sight throughout Japan. You will often find people sprawled across the floor on subways, nodding off in classrooms or taking a catnap in the middle of a meeting. The Japanese can quickly sneak into their dream world and refresh their minds.

Why is Inemuri accepted in Japanese culture?

Being one of the most sleep-deprived nations of the world – Japanese are known to sleep for less than 6 hours– it is no surprise that the Japanese do not lose any moment to sleep publicly.

But to understand why Inemuri is not only accepted but encouraged, you have to know why the nation frequently tops the list of the most sleep-deprived countries on this planet.

Living in a fast-paced world that prides itself in pulling off 18-hour workdays every day, the Japanese are a perpetually busy bee race. Overtime is a common part of their work culture, thereby reducing the length of night-time naps.

So, if one is found catching some shut-eye in the middle of the day, it’s viewed as a result of having worked hard the previous night. Or studied hard. Depending on which boat you are on.

What are the rules for Inemuri?

Now you might think that Inemuri is a freeing activity that subverts all rules, but that is not true. The Japanese are very particular about manners. And have a strict code of etiquette for public napping too.

Inemuri is about taking short naps, which means you cannot keep getting wrapped up for hours in your enticing dream. These naps are usually what we refer to as “power-naps,” 15-20 minutes long.

Not everybody is allowed to indulge in Inemuri. If you have newly joined a company, your desk nap isn’t going to be accepted kindly. Also, if the meeting/class does not require your active participation, feel free to nap quickly.

Lastly, as we mentioned before, Inemuri means being present while sleeping. This further means that though you have journeyed off to dreamland, you should be able to come back to reality as soon as the situation demands. 

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Do other nations of the world have something like Inemuri in place? 

Inemuri is a Japanese term, but similar ideas are definitely practiced in other nations too. Remember the Spanish siesta? It is about taking 2-3 hour long naps right after lunch! Even Italians have something called riposo, which translates to a couple of hours long lunch break during which people can nap. Usually, these are afternoon restorative naps.

In fact, quite a few companies have embraced a midday at-work nap culture too. Notable among them are heavyweights such as Apple, Google, Nike, Procter & Gamble and the Huffington Post among others. In the US, people who nap during afternoons are called Silicon Valley Sleepers.

Should India Incorporate Inemuri?

The idea of Inemuri comes from poor work-life balance in Japan. But, Inemuri has its own cognitive benefits. Working long hours can hamper our cognitive abilities and reflect in our productivity. Short naps can help increase productivity, alertness, clear out brain fog and improve attention. Therefore, for those who have a plethora of tasks, Inemuri can definitely help them.