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<\/p>\nAt 7 a.m. Tara Champion pushes the covers off her body, leans over and presses the alarm clock button on her buzzing iPhone. As she walks to the bathroom to brush her teeth, there\u2019s only one thing on her mind – her afternoon nap.<\/p>\n
Sleeping in the middle of the day may seem like something reserved for children, however, despite college pressures, some students find themselves making time to nap between part-time jobs and studying hours.<\/p>\n
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\u201cNapping throughout the day has been a huge part of my daily routine,\u201d says Champion. \u201cSince my days can get extremely hectic, a nap absolutely helps me to relax and be prepared to take on a new task.\u201d She has prioritized naps since high school, but during the pandemic, when she had to take all of her classes from home, Champion noticed an increase in napping. \u201cI napped during the pandemic because there wasn\u2019t much more to do but now I nap because I have to,\u201d says Champion.<\/p>\n
Champion, a junior and English major at Hunter College, found that taking a few minutes out of her day to rest her eyes has helped her perform better in class – she becomes more attentive and less fatigued. \u201cIt is so important for me to have short breaks, especially in the afternoon where a nap is beneficial and leaves me feeling refreshed,\u201d says Champion. \u201cI work more efficiently this way, and it gives me a chance to complete my assignments with better concentration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Champion may be onto something.<\/p>\n
A University of Delaware<\/a> study found that students who regularly napped performed better on cognitive tasks, mental reasoning and spatial memory tests. Furthermore, researchers discovered a positive correlation between midday naps and the quality of nighttime sleep, which is essential for improving neurocognitive function in young adults.<\/p>\n Hunter College freshman Yasmin Herrera, struggles to keep her eyes open during class due to her long nights of studying and lack of sleep. \u201cI barely sleep at night so mini naps are useful for me,\u201d says Herrera, adding that if she doesn’t find a time to nap, she often nods off during class. \u201cI sometimes miss important stuff from my classes and end up getting confused about what to do because I fell asleep for a brief second,\u201d says Herrera.<\/p>\n Herrera didn\u2019t find much use for naps before college. She says that her life wasn\u2019t always this busy where a nap felt so necessary. \u201cI think it began during remote learning. I began napping as a way of self-care,\u201d says Herrera. \u201cNow being back at school I\u2019m just sleeping less at night so mini naps just stuck with me because I always feel more at ease after them. They\u2019ve def become a part of my daily routine.\u201d<\/p>\n