Throughout the day, many high school students seem to grow more and more tired due to their lack of sleep at night. Today, American teens receive an average of six and a half hours of sleep per night. But because the adolescent brain is still developing, teens need a solid nine and a quarter hours of rest per night to satisfy their body and supply energy for the following day, says the National Sleep Foundation. However, homework, sports, clubs, part-time jobs, and various social activities often conflict with having enough time to rest. As stated in the Wall Street Journal, a simple solution to achieving the optimal amount of sleep is napping.
“[Napping] helps me catch up on sleep so I won’t feel tired and can do my work more efficiently,” says senior Cheryn Lam, who takes naps about three times a week for approximately two hours or more.
Occasionally, students attempt to catch up on their sleep during the weekend by sleeping in, sometimes until noon. An alternative to sleeping late is napping midday. The problem with sleeping until noon on a weekend is that it could negatively affect one’s consistent weekday sleep cycle. Health teacher Robynne Francis suggests another approach, saying “Sleeping in a little later [can be beneficial], but the more important piece is [going] to bed at a reasonable time the night before.”
Even though napping has its benefits, it does not replace all the rest required for a perfect night of sleep. Sophomore Jordan Tom, who naps for an hour for about three times a week, states, “I think that napping doesn’t substitute for late sleep, but it does help if 10 to 20 minutes are spent napping.”
Sometimes students in high schools find their “ideal” nap time during class, and manage to catch a few winks here and there. Francis says, “[napping] is not done during class; wait until after school, and try [taking] short naps before activities.” A brief catch up on sleep can improve the performance of activities and a student’s alertness.
Studies done by the National Sleep Foundation suggest that an hour long nap may even help with memory processing. In deep sleep, rapid eye movement, or REM, occurs. During REM, learning and developing occurs within the brain. In this stage of sleep, one’s brain practices knowledge that one has grasped and helps cement those skills as long-term knowledge.
On the other hand, napping too much—on average, an hour or more—could be counterproductive. “Sometimes [when I nap], I feel rested. However, sometimes I feel more tired,” comments junior Guy Geva, who naps four to five times a week for one to two hours at a time. “Overall, I do think napping has a positive impact. It helps me by giving me a break after school before I start my homework. It helps me calm down and get ready to work.”
Scientific studies suggest that people who do not nap can fall asleep more quickly and deeply at night.
Geva adds, “Sometimes, napping can really irritate me if I fall asleep by accident because it takes away time from doing homework. That’s why I think napping shouldn’t be done too much. It can also make it more difficult to fall asleep at night.”
Moreover, naps are not always a ready option. Sometimes people are not able to fall asleep and are restless. Freshman Nicole Chang says, “I would like to nap, it’s just that whenever I try, it doesn’t work. The closest I get is just closing my eyes and thinking random thoughts, but I don’t fall asleep.”
When done right, napping can help boost energy levels, increase productivity, and improve mood. Taking even brief naps can serve as down time in the midst of a heavy workload.
