For most of my life, I was a certified nap hater. As a kid, I fought against them with every fiber of my being, convinced I was missing out on something way more important – like watching Dora or having tea parties with my stuffed animals. Even in middle school and high school, I continued to see napping as a waste of time. Every time I attempted to take one, I’d either wake up more tired than before or, even worse, experience the dreaded time warp, where you wake up disoriented and confused about what day it is.
I used to reserve naps for only when I was sick, which only reinforced my belief that daytime sleep was an absolute last resort. Plus, anytime I did dare to nap, I’d find myself wide awake at night, questioning all my life choices (seriously not fun). I swore them off, proudly declaring myself a “no naps” person.
Then, adulthood hit me like a truck, and suddenly, the idea of curling up for a nice midday snooze became the ultimate luxury. As I started college, I tried my absolute best to prioritize my beauty sleep at night, but between classes, extracurriculars, social events, and the occasional late-night cram session, sometimes a full night just isn’t enough. In fact, I’ve had exactly one quarter at UCLA where I didn’t have class on Fridays, which means that if I go out on Thursday nights, I’m typically running on fumes the next morning.
At first, I relied on coffee to keep me going, but caffeine alone wasn’t cutting it. Energy drinks were a no-go since they make me feel like I’m having heart palpitations (may just be the placebo effect, but still, not pleasant). But one day during freshman year, after a long morning of classes, I flopped onto my bed to scroll through TikTok and bed rot for a bit, and before I knew it, I’d dozed off. 20 minutes later, I woke up feeling shockingly refreshed.
Turns out, I had been napping wrong my entire life.
It seems silly, but there truly is a proper way to nap, and after a few more trial runs, I started to figure out what worked for me. According to the CDC, taking a 15-30-minute nap means you’ll wake up before entering a deeper sleep, causing you to feel more alert after. It’s best to either do that or opt for a 90-minute one (which is about a full sleep cycle, including REM sleep), which helps prevent sleep inertia, also known as the grogginess and disorientation you feel when waking up.
Turns out, there’s actually some science behind why napping works. Many studies have shown that a 20-minute nap can improve memory and cognitive function by helping your brain consolidate information. It also boosts creativity and problem-solving, which can give you a fresh perspective when you wake up. Best of all for me, napping can lift your mood by reducing stress and making you feel less irritable.
Now, as a sophomore, I’ve perfected the art of the power nap. After my beloved 8 a.m. class (yeah, not my best scheduling decision), I usually grab a quick breakfast and take a 20-minute nap before hopping back on the grind or having some downtime. It’s just enough time to recharge without feeling like death when I wake up.
Honestly, now I don’t know how I survived without naps before. Even as I type this, I feel my afternoon slump creeping in – meaning it’s probably time to take my own advice (can’t wait!).
There’s definitely still a stigma around naps – one that I fully bought into for years. But taking a short nap doesn’t mean you’re lazy or unproductive. If anything, it’s one of the smartest things you can do for your brain. So if you’re still a nap skeptic, take it from a former hater: sometimes, the best way to get things done is to press pause for a little while.