Scientists have discovered why you always want to sleep in the office

Inadequate sleep and a heavy lunch are not the main reasons associated with a decrease in work productivity during the day. American scientists have found that high levels of carbon dioxide in offices and classrooms affect concentration and decision-making ability, writes The Daily Mail.

The main source of carbon dioxide in rooms is people. In an open space, the concentration of this gas is approximately 380 parts per million; indoors it can reach several thousand parts. According to researchers at New York University and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory at the University of California, high levels of dioxide indoors are usually caused by poor ventilation.

During the study, experts found that the concentration of carbon dioxide in office premises, as a rule, does not exceed 1 thousand parts per million (with the exception of a conference room, where a large number of people gather for a long time, which is why it is difficult to stay awake during meetings). In classrooms, gas concentrations also reach 1 thousand parts per million, but often exceed 3 thousand parts per million. Although these levels are not harmful to human health, they significantly reduce the ability to think and make decisions.

The researchers were surprised by the results, as they were the first to discover a relationship between high carbon dioxide levels and decreased productivity. During the experiment, scientists asked volunteers to undergo performance tests (at a carbon dioxide concentration of 1 thousand parts, which is common in offices). As a result, in six out of nine tests they showed a significant decrease in concentration and decision-making ability. The results were even worse when the gas level in the room was up to 2 thousand 500 parts.

The scientists' study was published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

Source: rbc.ru