Kieran Mundy
Contributing Writer
Let’s all be honest with ourselves for a moment: there is never a time during a typical weekday that a nap doesn’t sound like the absolute best thing you could do for yourself. College has somehow turned us all into the type of people who are trying to fit a ridiculous number of activities into a limited amount of time, and the struggle for sleep is real. The University of Georgia Health Center reports that the typical college student only gets between six and six-and-a-half hours of sleep a night, while the National Sleep Foundation tells us that in order to be healthy, functioning individuals we should be getting between eight and nine hours a night. This isn’t always feasible for college students, and unfortunately insufficient sleep can affect our moods, health, grades and how we interact with those around us.
Luckily, our little conundrum has a fairly simple solution: the power nap. Roughly defined as a nap that lasts anywhere from 15-to-30 minutes, the power nap is an easy and viable way to combat sleep deprivation. Sleeping for roughly 20 minutes in the late morning or early afternoon resets your system, increases alertness and motor performances as well as improving one’s ability to absorb information. Best of all, it doesn’t leave you feeling drowsy or groggy, the way a two-hour long nap would.
Taking a power nap is even more beneficial than reaching for that afternoon cup of coffee, because caffeine has the ability to reduce memory performance. While the power nap is often the quickest solution to the sleepiness that sets in during the day, studies have shown that different napping lengths tend to help out different parts of one’s brain. If you have a little bit of extra time, try out the 45-to-60 minute nap, which can help with decision making or recalling information. If you really want to treat yourself, go for the 60-to-90 minute nap and you’ll get REM sleep with the added benefits of having increased ability to solve problems creatively and make deeper connections.
Now that we’re all aware of the delights that a little nap can bring, only one question remains: how do I make it happen? Sometimes it can be difficult to fall asleep quickly, which takes away from the non-time consuming aspect of a power nap. Research has found that there are several steps that can be taken in order to fall asleep quickly, like being consistent with when you take your nap. Keeping a regular napping schedule means that eventually, when the time rolls around for it, your brain will have already started preparing you for sleep. The prime napping hours are between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. It’s also important to be in a dark and warm space, because it’s easier to fall asleep without light, and one’s body temperature actually drops during sleep.
Ultimately, a nap isn’t as good as a full nights sleep, but it comes pretty close, so don’t hesitate to explore the joys of napping