Naps are a game changer during midterm week. There is no better way to get through those long sleepless nights than by taking quick rests throughout the day. According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the optimal length of time for a nap is between 15 to 30 minutes for a short one and around 90 minutes for a longer one. So let it be known, no one should be napping for a few hours during midterms week. At that point, it’s just falling asleep.
There is no better feeling than the wave of energy that comes from a proper nap. The reduced fatigue, improved mood and overall relaxed feeling are essential to be able to troop through the day. It is much like being a child again. A general feeling of crankiness and discomfort brews after a sleepless night, but a brief moment of shut-eye provides some much needed respite from the grind.
One of the best parts of a properly timed nap is that it does not contribute to grogginess or ruin chances of sleeping again at night. The goal is to not replace the Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep process at night, but rather to dust off some fatigue during the day so that productivity can be attained.
In today’s society, productivity is valued above all else. People often forgo sleep to achieve better results, under the impression that doing the work now is more important than going about it with a fresh mind. Even now, napping is frowned upon, with friends, family and colleagues looking with disdain at the thought of a few moments of shut-eye. But naps do not deserve the negative stigma that they receive.
For students, there is the constant pressure to always be wired. Drastic measures are taken in order to achieve this throughout the day, most often or not by consuming diabolical amounts of coffee in order to stay awake. The odd few will take a break rather than take a nap, but there are some memory benefits that arise with a proper nap.
In an article published in a sleep journal, scientists conducted a study in which they compared the long-term memory benefits of those who take short naps and those who take short breaks. Their results found that “when tested 30 min after learning, cramming and napping led to significantly better memory than taking a break. After a week, napping maintained this significant advantage, but cramming did not.” This shows in part some of the advantages that can come from taking a nap.
Taking naps can change the way students approach learning in a university environment. There are already sleep pods at the Student Recreation Center (SRC); students might as well make good use of them. Avoiding burnout is a tough task during midterms, and naps are certainly one way to combat it. In this fast-paced world that prioritizes the material cost of time and productivity, it is time to rethink what exactly that means. Napping is a simple tool to boost both mental and physical health. Fall into the caverns of sleep, just make sure to set an alarm before doing so.
