We were all forced to take them when we were younger despite protestations. I don't mean Flinstones vitamins - I mean naps. As babies, we ate, pooped and slept, and we enjoyed it. By the time our ages were counted in years as opposed to months, we hated naps, a loathing that grew with each passing year. Naps were viewed as something for babies, and at the ripe old age of 4, we didn't need naps. We tried to mimic adults, and we were smart enough to know that adults don't take naps.
If only we had the wisdom then that we do now. Humans are in the minority as monophasic sleepers, while 85 percent of mammals are polyphasic sleepers, according to the National Sleep Foundation. This means that we have a longer, single phase of sleep than most mammals, which sleep for multiple short periods during the day.
What also may be bizarre is that it is unclear whether our sleep pattern is natural for us, though, especially considering that both babies and the elderly nap frequently and are more like polyphasic sleepers than us monophasic adults.
Additionally, there are many cultures that incorporate napping as a very important part of the day. In Spain, for example, people usually leave work for a two- to three-hour break that includes eating and sleeping. Even though the siesta was reduced for government workers in 2006 to boost productivity, I am still a big fan of naps and think that we could all benefit from a scheduled daily rest.
But unfortunately, U.S. citizens have moved toward an increasing sleep deprivation trend, a condition extremely familiar to college students. The effect of hectic schedules is often most acute during exam periods when students are tempted to forego necessary sleep for essential studying. It should be noted that sleeplessness negates the effects of all the effort exerted in studying, thought, and can result in worse performance. It is understandable that when grades and future plans are on the line, it's hard to sneak in a restful night when you could study just a bit more. The solution is something I'm a big proponent of at all times: a return to your childhood practice of napping.
There is a careful balance that must be obtained with napping; you don't want to disrupt your nighttime sleep. You do, however, want to achieve enough nap time to really power through the next few hours.
Naps can increase your alertness for several hours afterward and have been shown to positively impact performance. Naps also have the benefit of serving as a psychological mini-vacation. Keep in mind that too long of a nap can interfere with falling asleep at your normal bedtime and result in a phenomenon known as sleep inertia. Sleep inertia occurs during the few minutes of grogginess and disorientation that occur after a person has woken from a deep sleep. The effect can delay the benefits of the nap, thus - the recommended nap time is about 20 to 30 minutes, according to the NSF.\nThe NSF cites some famous, frequent 'nappers' throughout history, including Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, Napoleon, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison and George W. Bush. I wonder if they ever refused to take a nap during their childhood ...
Katie McBeth is a University Medical student. She can be reached at k.mcbeth@cavalierdaily.com.
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