The University of Warwick has teamed up with Metronaps UK to install EnergyPods in three locations on campus; The Learning Grid, Biomed Grid and in the Wolfson Research Exchange. 

We are the first UK University to introduce Energy Management and EnergyPods to campus and will be investigating their use over a 10 week period (term one) to determine their effectiveness as a relaxation, learning enhancement and stress-relief tool.

The use of EnergyPods and active management of energy levels has been demonstrated to enhance learning and work performance, promote enhanced retention of information, improve the internalisation of complex learning and reduce stress.   

EnergyPods allow for effective sleep in the day to offset fatigue brought on by conditions that are often found in the University environment, such as poor sleep hygiene, high intellectual workloads, a 24-hour, sometimes chaotic and stressful lifestyle that can lack calm routine.  The use of alcohol or stimulants such as caffeine as part of a culture of work hard, play hard can make getting effective rest difficult and increase the likelihood of fatigue in the working or studying day. 

Use of the EnergyPods can also help alleviate the effects of sleep disruption.  Many staff and students have family or childcare responsibilities, or other worries and responsibilities that can have an adverse impact on quality and quantity of sleep. Other sources of disruption include late night working or socialising, stress, overwork, late night noise etc.

Use of EnergyPods and the resources on these pages may also promote greater awareness of when you are most effective at particular tasks and manage your fatigue when you aren't - there are other resources and skills courses in activity management available at Warwick that you can use to enhance this.

EnergyPods or napping has been shown to be significantly more effective than other behaviours aimed at increasing work levels.  Working long hours or using sheer adrenaline and willpower to 'keep going' can be damaging; constant lack of sleep or use of stimulants like caffeine can impair your judgement in the same way as being legally drunk.         

For people whose study or work involves the use of hazardous chemicals, machinery, driving or dangerous environments, effective napping has considerable safety benefits over working when fatigued and against using alternatives such as using stimulants, or sleeping for extended periods at night.

EnergyPods and short napping are NOT a substitute for a long night's sleep.  You should seek advice and/or take a long sleep if your performance is significantly affected by tiredness for a long time.

 EnergyPods can be booked - outside these times, use is first come first served outside these times - please turn up 15 minutes before your nap!

Nap:

A short sleep.

Power Nap:

A short effective sleep designed to quickly revitalise or enhance performance.

Relaxation Resources

If the trial period is successful, we will investigate production of learning and dedicated relaxation resources

If you like this idea or have suggestions of content we could produce, please feed them back here

Department use

If you are a Department and would like to produce learning or podcasts for use in the Warwick EnergyPods, or enquire about block booking, please contact Jeremy Ireland in the Department of Chemistry.

How to Use EnergyPods

Benefits