Being a baby comes with a lot of privileges. Privileges like not having to worry about chores, homework, or any other responsibilities. But more appreciable, the freedom to take naps at any given time.
But for those of us who are old enough to have more time consuming responsibilities, naps aren’t convenient. If we choose to take a nap, we give up time that could have been used to complete other tasks.
However, by taking a nap we can complete said tasks with a clear, fresh, and recharged mind, allowing us to complete those tasks more efficiently. It is clear that taking a nap has its benefits that go along with making us more productive. The issue now is deciding how long a nap should be.
Like just about any other high school student, my schedule is full of never-ending 11:59 pm deadlines and extracurricular activities that make me question my life choices. In the midst of it all, discovering the power of long naps has allowed me to keep up with the tedious workload, while still managing to function somewhat like a normal human being.
Everyday after school, I would come home, and immediately knock out. Two-hour naps, while very long for a nap, became a crucial part of my routine in order for me to muster up enough energy needed to get through all my homework. A routine that, when including the two-hour nap taken mid-afternoon, gave me a total of around 8 hours of sleep every night. Technically, I was getting the full sleep one should at my age, all while simultaneously keeping up the good work at school. However, not all solutions could be perfect, and especially not this one.
Since it seems that every teacher is on board with making assignments due at 11:59 pm, I only had so much time to get them all done before they were considered missing or late at 12:00 am. Choosing to nap for 2 hours in the afternoon meant that I had 2 less hours to finish all my work unrushed. Although I got all of my work done on time, my work wasn’t the best it maybe should have been.
After sticking to this schedule for weeks, I noticed that I often felt sluggish and guilty for having wasted time on sleeping when I could have finished my work earlier and used my remaining time doing other productive activities.
I wondered why I was feeling this way, if resting more should have left me feeling more energized and productive. Researching why I was feeling this way led me to a rabbit hole of different kinds of naps. In doing so, I discovered that nap lengths result in different side effects.
I found that longer naps are best suited for children in order to help stimulate development. The results are a lot different for adults as stated by medical author Karthik Kumar. “A long nap, such as two hours per day, could indicate sleep deprivation of another sleep disorder, which may need a doctor’s consultation.” Clearly, long naps are not best suited for me if my goal is to quickly recharge and get my things done.
Having made this discovery, I have decided to change my habits this semester. Rather than taking 2 hour naps, I’ve significantly shortened them and started napping for only 15 minutes a day, which according to Jenette Restivo, “Even though you’re only resting for a short period of time, power naps can effectively increase your level of alertness and focus.” 2 weeks into this semester, I already noticed drastic changes in my energy and productivity levels.
Not only am I able to get all my work done on time without rushing, but I’ve also started building better habits for my health and well-being. Instead of being holed up in my room with piles of work to do, I have more time to hang out with friends and family, go on walks, and read.
In addition to my productivity levels improving, other aspects of my life have also improved. I am less stressed now that I am not as worried about making time to get things done, while also being well-rested. Rather than sleeping only a couple of hours a night and making up for lack of sleep during the day, I now get 7-8 consistent hours of sleep every night.
Evidently, shorter naps proved to be more beneficial. They’ve allowed me to be more productive, well-rested, and efficient with how I spend my time after school. Although it’s only been a couple of weeks since making this change, the results are already beneficial enough to encourage me to maintain these habits.
