If you, like me, have an incredibly busy schedule that is filled with (literally) jogging between classes, late nights studying or finishing homework, and, subsequently, getting insufficient sleep, then do I have some good news for you.
First, let’s get a brief overview of the benefit of sleep, and why Mount Holyoke students don’t necessarily need to get more sleep, but just more even sleep. Studies have shown that if you go to bed at one a.m. every night, and wake up at seven a.m. every day, you have a higher level of functioning than if you go to bed at erratic times and woke up unevenly every day. Isn’t that crazy? You should probably get more than just six hours a night, but really, some nights we just can’t prioritize that.
This is why God created naps.
There are four different types of naps you should take depending on what needs you have. I will explain the benefits to taking each nap, but I cannot say I am a professional, only an experienced napper.
1. The Power Nap
The power nap has been around since napping was born. Power naps usually range from 10-30 minutes, however, NASA has proven that the most invigorating nap is, scientifically, 26 minutes long. This is the length of all of my naps, usually. While work on the NASA Nap is still under development, it is said to have massive benefits to your daily productivity. Even if you have a full night’s sleep, one NASA nap in the day is proven to give you that extra (rocket) boost). Short story is that if you’re going to take a power nap, you should really take NASA nap, because there are real studies that show it works (even astronauts do it)!
2. The Mindful Nap
This 60 – 75 minute nap is if you really had a rough time sleeping last night, but you have to get through the rest of the day. The Mindful Nap gives you clarity and completely eliminates that awful groggy feeling you get in the middle of the day. The mindful nap goes through no stage of REM sleep, but it does go through approximately 10 minutes of slow wave sleep (SWS), which provides a similar state to as if you went into REM sleep.
3. The “Me Time” Nap Time
“Me time” is when you get a full hour to an hour-and-a-quarter to nap. That’s right my friends, if you pulled an all-nighter, I would suggest a full hour length nap. Studies have shown that an hour long nap feels, short term, exactly like a full night’s worth of sleep. If you’re taking this nap at around 3-4 PM, you should be able to get through the rest of the day without that lethargic feeling, and it, in fact, boosts your creative mind. If you take a Me Time nap, you’re going to get about 5-20 minutes of REM sleep (amazing).
4. The Whole Dang Thing
Sleeping for 90 minutes can give you the benefit of a full sleep cycle. You will experience about 25 minutes of REM sleep in this time. If you can find an hour and a half in between your tuba lesson, and your next anthropology class, you should spend it sleeping.
Ultimately, it is important to know that even if you do have a full night’s sleep, it is important to nap. Many people have said that, even after a full eight hours, a midday nap helps focus them, and puts them in a better, more productive mood. Why do you think the Italians are so happy and long-living? It’s because they take naps, and they stress out half as much. Let’s take a tip from the Italians, and let’s take a midday siesta at 1-3, when our bodies feel naturally lethargic, to give us that extra creativity, and mindfulness boost.
Now go, be great, and nap.
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