When you think about it, it’s kind of strange how nap time is common at preschools, but then immediately disappears from kids’ curriculums once they reach elementary school. So when you hear that an elementary school in Japan has set up a space for kids to catch some Zs in, it might sound like an encouraging sign that the administrators are showing proper concern for their pupils’ well-being.
However, this might not seem like such a great idea when you see where the kids are supposed to sleep.
As shown in the video, the school (whose name has not been publicly announced) has installed what the report calls a tachine, or “stand and sleep,” box. That’s an accurate description, as the phone booth-sized compartment is just big enough for a single occupant to brace themselves against the pads for their head, hindquarters, and shins, an array that’s meant to keep you upright even after you drift off into sleep and aren’t consciously standing anymore.
If the setup looks familiar, you might be recalling the previous times we looked at the design. Created by Hokkaido Prefecture-based Koyoju Plywood Corporation, which originally called them “nap boxes,” they were initially introduced as office equipment for workers who wanted a place to nap. Koyoju later established the Giraffenap brand for their invention, referencing how giraffes sleep standing up in short bursts, and even partnered with Nescafe for a limited-time nap pod cafe in downtown Tokyo.
The elementary school installed its standing nap pod on Tuesday as part of its health curriculum, which since last year has included a special focus on the importance of getting sufficient amounts of sleep. Yoshito Nohara, Koyoju’s managing director, described the benefits of the pod’s design with “Data has been collected that shows it is difficult to achieve deep sleep while sleeping perpendicular to the pull of gravity,” and also cited the quickness with which one can return to work or study with an in-office/in-school sleeping booth. “We hope that when these children become adults they’ll create a society in which taking naps is something people do as a matter of course.”
However, judging from online reactions to the video, a lot of people aren’t convinced that stand-and-sleep pods are such a great idea, especially for kids.
“We live in a terrible timeline.”
“You started with ‘Sleep is important,’ and THIS is the conclusion you came to? I think you got some things backwards.”
“I think spending too much time in one of those things would curve your spine.”
“I want to lie down when I sleep.”
“The human body isn’t designed to sleep standing up.”
“I’d be too freaked out about possibly getting trapped inside to get any rest.”
“Instead of making a society where taking naps is normal, you should be making a society where people aren’t so tired that they need to take naps.”
“You can just sleep at your desk in school. I slept all the time in the school library too.”
The last two commenters make especially good points. As evidenced by students sneaking naps in class by putting their heads down on their desk behind a book and out of the teacher’s line of sight, kids are already aware that sleep is good for the body, or at least that sleeping feels better than staying awake when they’re tired. More so than trying to re-instill the pretty obvious concept that sleep is good, the important thing would seem to be either creating time during the school day for kids to take regular naps, or to find a proper study/homework load and teach time management skills so that kids aren’t shaving down their sleep hours by staying up late studying, or trying to have just a little enjoyable personal time after finally finishing their overly heavy school responsibilities for the day.
Still, all else equal, having a school nap booth at least makes it easier to get some extra sleep than not having a school nap booth, though it’s unclear if kids can make regular use of it, or if it’s only available on special occasions as part of that day’s health lesson. The school’s booth will be in place until February, after which the kids will apparently need to find some other place for supplemental slumber.
Source: Tele Asa News, YouTube/ANNnewsCH via Jin
Images: PR Times
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© SoraNews24
30 Comments
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shogun36
or......maybe just have an open tatami room adjacent to the nurses room and let them sleep there?
Jay
For a country obsessed with continuous improvement, you'd think Japan would have improved on the idea that running on three hours of sleep is somehow a badge of honor. The same people who meticulously bow to show respect somehow refuse to bow to the godsend of proper rest. Sorry, but needing sleep pods in schools isn't a "cultural quirk", it’s a national cry for help. Here's an idea guys: maybe stop treating sleep like a waste of time and realize that eight hours of proper rest won't just boost your health - it might actually make you productive without the need for a pod nap.
Hawk
Awesome. So they send the kids home at three with a minimum amount of homework, clubs and activities a maximum of three times a week, and having taught them thoroughly enough that they don't have to have extra classes at juku? So instead of snatching 5-10 minutes of pointless "sleep" throughout the day; at lunchtime, between classes, in the car, at the bus stop, they get to bed at a reasonable hour and get their nightly eight or so hours?
WoodyLee
As long as it is healthy then we must all agree that this is a brilliant idea.
iron man
surely a parent's responsibility to ensure the kids get sufficient nightly laying down time to put such devices into history..NOW
HopeSpringsEternal
My boy was sleeping at his desk this week when I arrived to pick him up at elementary school, too cute and luckily, he's so popular, so none of his classmates bothered him. Young kids need sleep, lots of it!
HopeSpringsEternal
Teachers explained that its almost big boys that need the sleep, as the small or average size kids and girls in general tend to not need naps as much. Being big and growing faster takes more energy = tiring!
tamanegi
What a nuthouse!
Kazuaki Shimazaki
The entire point is that you don't get to sleep too deeply, so you get a power nap. The problem is, can I get to even a shallow sleep while standing up?
iron man
I think power naps are a different necessity to elementary school kids requirements. I regularly used to grab my lunch box and do it justice, go to my door so my assistant knew to rouse me if necessary, throw the chair back and switch off, rarely slept. just let the mind destress at midday. say from my early 50's.
Sven Asai
Quite strange and confusing, because my generation still thinks that schools are places meant to be for learning, universities for studies and workplaces for working. Sleeping is something for doing at home in one's own bed. Nothing against unusual innovations or a bit thinking out of the box, but now everywhere such extreme kinds of complete misuse or contrary usage?
Patricia Yarrow
How can anyone sleep standing up? Those capsules should be for lying down!
DanteKH
How about instead stop overwhelming kids with too much curriculum, too much extra curricular activities, useless juuku and not enough time for relaxation or even sleep at home??
Kids are already exhausted when they arrive home, and they cannot relax due to too much shukudai, homeworks, etc.
Japan is stressing the kids too much, trying to brainwash them into mindless salaryman drones, dedicated to corporations.
So...how about no.
Some dude
For a country obsessed with continuous improvement, you'd think Japan would have improved on the idea that running on three hours of sleep is somehow a badge of honor
Hey, they are working on it. They're trying to get it down to two.
factchecker
Standing cells are a form of torture used in jails. They must really hate children having fun and being young in this country.
daito_hak
Sometimes I wonder how far Japanese stupidity and madness can go.
purple_depressed_bacon
Or here's a novel idea: why not actually decrease the amount of hours kids have to spend at school doing pointless club activities, projects, schoolwork etc. and actually provide them with a good school/life balance? Imagine not having to go to school on weekends and school holidays! Wouldn't that be a treat?
kohakuebisu
My kids did not have a nap in the last year of preschool (nencho - five years old).
I think preschools actually like younger kids napping because it gives the teachers a break, but most five year olds don't need it and have to be forced to get into their futon.
ushosh123
GDI, the promo ends in February!
SarcasmOnly
Strange over-engineering for perceived innovation. Like all the robotic/humanoid obsession to many problems.
owzer
With the declining population, they could most likely have a "nap room" (or two or three) with more than a dozen beds in it. You will always get better sleep laying down.
njca4
This thing looks like it could also be used as a namahage room, very scary. I'm too claustrophobic to get in that
yakyak
Dumb idea.
blackpassenger
Mmmmm, good idea. After all, sleeping is Japanese kids’ most common hobby.
SomeWeeb
Homework is scientifically proven to be mostly useless. Third place is reading, 2nd in science, fifth in math. Japanese school kids are doing pretty well. But then we look at the economy... What are we gaining here?
Maybe they could be allowed an extra hour of sleep or two before school. But the corporate work culture would never permit people to get used to not getting to the office at 6 am and working until they expire at their desk would it?
JeffLee
Why don't they just set them horizontal?
I assume that every night at home, this guy sleeps in a vertical bed.
Toshihiro
After serving in the navy and learning to sleep in various undesirable conditions, I'd say that I won't sleep in a standing coffin like that, and would rather sleep in the nurse's office or just hide in a corner of the library. Japan makes a lot of quirky stuff, but this is probably better left in the drawing board. I second @shogun36's idea, just install a tatami area and designate that as a sleeping room.
This reminds me of the story between the Russians and the Americans when they had to come up with a writing implement for space exploration. The Americans invented a high-tech pressurized "space pen", while the Russians gave their cosmonauts a pencil. Go for the pencil option, Japan. Put that talent to better use elsewhere.