You might even have nodded off on the job.

Sprung by a colleague and deeply embarrassed you probably came up with a pathetic-sounding excuse like "someone must have put the decaf in the wrong jar" or "those cold and flu tablets I took last night just won't wear off".

Seen by bosses as the most taboo form of slacking off, nodding off in the workplace was considered a serious flaw in a worker's personality, not to mention a sure-fire sign of a very lazy employee. It could even lead to the sack.

But if you are not getting enough shut eye, you are not alone.

Experts predict that around 30 per cent of Australian workers are under-slept. During peaks in the workplace cycle like the lead-up to holidays or the end of a financial year, the percentage might rise to more than 50 per cent.

Increased awareness of what experts describe as a "sleep crisis" in our community has led to some bosses discovering a new-found respect for sleeping in the workplace.

In-touch bosses understand that fatigued workers do not give their best and could actually be stealing work time by underperforming on the job.

These bosses are now encouraging worn-out and sleep-deprived workers to take short and sharp naps in the workplace to boost performance and productivity and avoid lost memories, anger, hallucinations, slurred speech, impaired decision-making capability and a "head in the cloud" type feeling.

And in what might be described as the "Great Sleep Awakening", these bosses view sleep as a powerful productivity enhancer than can be the difference between an energetic and efficient employee and a mistake-prone muppet.

Short power naps of 20 to 30 minutes are associated with improved alertness and concentration, reduced stress and enhanced mood.

The increasing acceptance of Zzz's in the workplace is based on bosses' new awakening that an employee's value ought to be based on their outputs and not their inputs.

That equates to performance being more about the results achieved and far less about the hours chalked up, which is why some smarter bosses see the potential of naps to fuel better outcomes.

Some bosses, with their eyes wide open, are even leading a "sleep at work" revolution by allocating designated workplace areas for employees to top up on Zzz's.

Not all bosses appreciate this quiet revolution.

For some it is a waking nightmare because the sight of sleeping colleagues in a workplace can have a jarring effect on others and create the impression of an idle rather than productive workplace culture.

Nonetheless, snoozing at desks in 2020 may well be the new norm.

Make sure you bring your own pillow and stuffed toys and deal with your snoring issues - but leave the pyjamas neatly folded at home because that is where they belong.