French
Health Minister Seeks Nap Study
PARIS
(AP) - The French already enjoy a 35-hour
work week and generous vacation. Now the
health minister wants to look into whether
workers should be allowed to sleep on
the job.
France
launched plans this week to spend $9 million
this year to improve public awareness
about sleeping
troubles. About one in three
French people suffer from them, the ministry
says.
Fifty-six percent of French complain that
a poor night's sleep has affected their
job performance, according to the ministry.
"Why not a nap at work? It can't
be a taboo subject," Health Minister
Xavier Bertrand said Monday. He called
for further studies and said he would
promote on-the-job naps if they prove
useful.
France's state-run health insurance provider
will send letters explaining the importance
of good sleep. The Health Ministry's Web
site offers tips on how best to get a
good night's rest.
The ministry's online "Passport
to Sleep" recommends cutting
down on coffee, tea, colas, and athletic
activity after 8 p.m., shunning TV time
or working late in the evening, and listening
better to the body's own sleep signals,
such as yawning.
Bertrand said sleepiness causes 20 percent
to 30 percent of highway accidents
across France each year.