Maybe it’s time we learn from cats. Though they spend 12-16 hours of their day sleeping when they wake from their midafternoon snooze they are energetic and seem to be able to get more done.
With finals right around the corner, many people are losing sleep. Between stress and studying to make the grades some might wonder whether catching up on sleep can be done. While catching up is not really something that can be done, making sure that you have adequate sleep can be. Throughout most of our lives, naps have been frowned upon because they are for children. Studies on sleep suggest naps may actually benefit a person’s overall health.
According to research done on many age ranges, naps are not a hindrance to a person’s health; instead, it has shown that napping for no longer than an hour and a half has major benefits for a person’s health. The length of the nap depends on the overall sleep cycle. In studies done by Sleep.org , Hopkins Medical Center, and many more they have found that naps have help mental recall and focus.
When a person is lacking sleep, their ability to focus dwindles which makes remembering things harder. With the impending finals and students studying harder to try and remember a semester’s worth of content we are about to have zombies on campus.
Many countries offer a sleep break during midday for employees to rest and recharge. This raises the question of whether or not schools and colleges should do the same. If the health benefits are there, then why don’t more people know about this? In countries like Spain, China, and Italy they have rest breaks in the middle of their workday. According to Sleep.org “In China workers often take a break after lunch and put their heads on their desks for an hour-long nap. It’s considered a Constitutional right.” This rest break is often included during the lunch hour in which employees are allowed to leave to go home for a break and have time to spend with their loved ones and sleep if they so choose. The aforementioned are not the only countries that participate in this unique tradition.
Countries have begun allowing employees to rest because it has been shown to increase productivity. Often because of these breaks employee’s work longer days. In the U.S., we do not take part in allowing these nap breaks just yet, though it has been said that some big-name brands like Google and Microsoft have begun to allow their employee’s naps.
Many schools are now playing with later start times and some are even experimenting with rest breaks. Catie Beck at NBC News wrote, “Several New Mexico high schools are trying a new approach to dealing with sleep-deprived students: letting them sleep.” A school in New Mexico invested in ‘Napping Pods’ which are an egg like chair that plays music and students can sleep in. Even closer to home, a school district in Chicago have carved out ‘nap time’ for older students.
In the New Mexico district they are under the impression that students aren’t going to be able to focus while they are tired, so a 20- minute cat nap seems like a better alternative then forcing the students to be in a classroom where they aren’t learning. After the nap, they return to class feeling refreshed and ready to learn.
Is this something that should be implemented in school? With finals just around the corner remember that sleep is important. Take care of yourself if you’re tired make sure to rest. Information isn’t going to be retained if you can’t focus after all. Naps aren’t a waste of time with the health benefits it’s a wonder that we don’t take more advantage of them.
