App maker Pzizz has collaborated with MetroNaps to install relaxation tracks in the US tech company's EnergyPod sleep chairs this month, in a bid to improve sleep quality and enhance office napping.

Already used in Google and Nasa offices, the audio will combine neuro-linguistic programming, calming music, sound effects and 'brainwave’ tech to help workers fall more quickly into a deeper sleep. The innovative collaboration highlights the growing commercial interest in sleep as a means of maximising workplace productivity – a topic explored in-depth in our Wellbeing Warriors report. 

“Forward-thinking companies worldwide are looking for new ways to provide staff with a better work-life experience, and research shows that encouraging daytime naps pays dividends in the form of more rested, relaxed and focused employees,” said creators at MetroNaps. “Behavioural brain research shows that workplace rest facilities are a sounder company investment than expensive espresso and coffee stations, as napping improves alertness and memory more effectively than caffeine.”

Reflecting the growing interest in the benefits of sleep, the calming and sleeping industry is set to grow to $705m in the US by 2019 (Euromonitor, 2015). For a deeper dive into the sleep-boosting sensors, wearables and services turning the science of sleep into a business strategy, see our insights from Wired Health 2016.