We’ve all done it: the all-nighter, caffeine overload “fix”, or measly hour of rest to carry us through our day. Whether it’s during finals week or within the typical busyness of the school week, we’ve all experienced the Zombie apocalypse on Syracuse’s campus from time to time: you know, the half-alive students whose bloodshot eyes and dark circles make them castable for horror flicks like The Night of the Living Dead. And, because most of us are not going to turn in our assignments late, bomb our next test, or even better, give up our remnants of a social life to catch up on lost sleep, what is a person to do? You know what scientific research says? “Take a nap!”
Research studies have touted the benefits of napping for years, claiming it increases alertness, improves memory retention, aids productivity, and bolsters your immune system. But if you’ve never jumped on the “nap bandwagon” and find yourself full of excuses like “I don’t have time” or “I feel more tired after I nap,” I’d like to counter your fears with facts: Did you know that when studies tested the benefits of a 5, 10, 20, and 30-minute nap, that the 10-minute nap was actually the most effective? Not only does the 10-minute nap prevent you from feeling groggy afterwards since you were in the lightest stage of sleep, Stage One, but you also reap the greatest rewards by sleeping this length of time. For example, perks include alertness that can be felt up to two and a half hours post-nap, as well as the many other benefits of napping, listed earlier. With improved performance that lasts this length of time, I think we can all find 10-minutes (which we probably would have utilized as our ‘facebook break’ anyway) to enjoy a catnap!
