An Expert’s Guide To Napping
By Lauren Brose ‘15
I’m just gonna put this out there: I really really love naps!! In fact, I took a glorious three 3 hour nap today. A lot of my friends are in full agreement that power naps, no matter how long or short, are better than not having naps at all. So I did some research on the topic of naps and found that not only are they good for your mental alertness but also your overall health.
Naps in numbers
- 60 minute naps improve alertness for up to 10 hours
- A Harvard study found that a 45 minute nap improves memory and learning capacity
- Naps also yield many of the same benefits of a full night’s rest including reduced risk of excessive weight gain, stress reduction, a reduced risk of stroke, diabetes, and heart attack.
- 1999 was the first year that the national napping day was celebrated, which is ACTUALLY TODAY !!!!!!! (March 14)
- Humans are actually programmed to sleep two long periods per day instead of one, just like most mammals. We should sleep in the early morning from 2am-4am and also in the afternoon from 1pm-3pm.
- To those who have trouble falling asleep (not me): studies have shown that slowly swinging beds––aka hammocks–– actually help people fall asleep faster
- In 2011, it was reported that 6% of workplaces have nap rooms with 1% growth over the previous years. Is this the future?!?!
How to nap efficiently
10-20 minutes: Yes, you’ve read it right! We can take naps for as little as 10 minutes and it will be beneficial not detrimental to your energy level for the remainder of your day! Because of the briefness of the slumber, our brains are inhibited from entering REM (rapid eye movement) stage of sleep. Benefits: a quick recharge that enables us to get back up and running in no time at all.
30 minutes: This not-too-long-not-too-short nap period is actually the riskiest. There is a high chance that nappers will awake feeling sleep inertia, a groggy feeling that lasts for a full 30 minutes before alertness takes over. Still, it is beneficial but if you don’t have self control you must heed with caution.
60 minutes: This is my favorite length of time for naps and it is totally do-able. And apparently it helps with remembering faces, names and figures. This does have the same feelings of grogginess during the initial wake up period since this is the longest form of sleep. I have a 2 hour break between classes and I frequently walk home (10 min), eat a quick lunch (30 min), take a nap (60 min) and then walk back to class (10 min). How perfect is that??
Places to nap on campus
Study cubbies - Leavey Library (Also known as Club Leavey)
Media Lounge - Wallis Annenberg Hall
Low level basement - Wallis Annenberg Hall
Lobby - Hoffman Hall
Study space inside the Ronald Tutor Campus Center
People, JUST REMEMBER: Naps are good for you so next time you have a Sailor Moon moment, don’t feel lazy. Feel empowered for taking control of your mental and physical health! Woo hoo!
