Legal Commentary

who’s cranky? another reason for law firm nap rooms

By David A. Giacalone

A year ago, we argued that law firms have an ethical obligation to provide nap rooms for their aging members. A new survey done in the UK gives us a stellar “quality of life” or “professional civility” reason for more lawyer nap rooms. You see, a poor night’s sleep makes most people rather grumpy the next day at work. “Study highlights bad sleepers” (The Press Association, Aug. 3, 2008). And, a group of lawyers in their 50’s are apparently the most sleep deprived segment of British Society (via: Carolyn Elefant at Legal Blog Watch, Aug. 4, 2008). The f/k/a Gang believes that there’s nothing like a good nap to calm an old grump. (Note, however, that some people get even grumpier when a nap is interrupted.)

up all night
the Senior Partner forgets
his manners

.. by dagosan

Two Ends of the Bar: A Bloomberg article yesterday gives more detail. “Lawyers in Their 50s Are U.K.’s Most Sleep Deprived” (Bloomberg, Aug. 4, 2008):

“London lawyers aged 55 are the most sleep-deprived workers in the U.K. mainly due to stress, according to a study of 2,000 adults in a variety of jobs.

“Lawyers said they average about four hours sleep a night and admit they can be bad tempered and emotional leading to underperformance at work, according to an Aug. 1 study by GfK AG’s U.K researchers.”

Why are lawyers sleeping so poorly?

“Fifty-seven percent of lawyers cited work stress as the reason they toss and turn, 45 percent blamed discomfort with their bed, 41 percent said family problems were the root cause, and 40 percent blamed noise. Twenty-seven percent cited health worries and 25 percent blamed money worries for sleeplessness.”

Ironically, the best sleepers also had bar-related jobs:

“Among the other workers surveyed, 20-year-old single, female bar employees from central England were the U.K.’s best sleepers, averaging 10 hours a night.”

Clearly, middle-aged lawyers need more nap rooms — or, as Ed might say over at Blawg Review, perhaps they need to meet more twenty-something barmaids.

By the way: The same research group offered another reason why so many Baby Boomers might be cranky these days (beyond wrinkles, arthritis, memory lapses, etc.): “Generation 50+ feels undervalued by the world of business and politics” (GfK, June 20, 2008)

empty cookie tin ?
the hermit heads
back to bed

… by dagosan

insomnia-
a screensaver glows
through a dark window

… by jim kacian - World Haiku Assn.

p.s. I was wondering why the study got so many responses indicating that an uncomfortable bed was the source of sleeping problems — until I saw who sponsored the survey: bed maker Silentnight Holdings Plc. For example, in addition to the 45% of lawyers citing discomfort in bed, the results showed that:

“Just under half of people in East Anglia (43%), 40% of those in the south-west of England and 40% of those in Scotland said that not being able to get comfortable affected their sleeping patterns.”

on the face
that last night called me names
morning sunbeam

. . . . George Swede from Almost Unseen

a noon nap
on a good day?
first rainbow

his quick nap
is just pretend?
hermit crab

restless sleep–
tea cakes in the hut
for Ninth Month moon

????. by Kobayashi Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue

insomnia
a robin sings
all night long

… by Matt Morden - Morden Haiku (April 24, 2007)

sleepless . . .
the baby?s age
in days

.. by John Stevenson - Some of the Silence (Red Moon Press,1999)

sleepless night
snow to rain
by the sound of it

… by Tom Painting - The Heron?s Nest (March 2005)

too tired
to untangle
christmas lights

?????.. by Roberta Beary

sleepless night
she won’t stop
leaving me alone

3 am nature call?
the nagging drip
of icicles

twin beds arrive
she says
it’s ’cause I snore

…… by dagosan

scolding the cricket
in my sleep?
thatched hut
???. by Kobayashi Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue

Full post as published by f/k/a . . . on August 05, 2008 (boomark / email).