Picture this. It’s 3 p.m. and you are just walking back into your room after a long morning of classes. You drop your bag on the floor and promptly collapse onto the warm bed you had dragged yourself out of a few hours earlier. For many college students, this slowly becomes a part of their daily routine while classes are in session.
We have all fallen victim to these afternoon power naps. Most times we wake up feeling unproductive and like we are falling behind. But could these 3 p.m. naps be beneficial to our mental and physical health? Research suggests they are.
Improved Memory
Napping can help improve our long-term memory and ability to recall information. According to hopkinsmedicine.org, “Scientists found that people who napped for 30 to 90 minutes had better word recall – which is a sign of good memory – than people who did not nap or who napped for longer than 90 minutes.”
Studies show that sleep plays a big part in how well we retain knowledge and store memories. It also helps us remember important information such as our motor skills and perception of our environment.
Increased Creativity
Short naps can also increase your creativity, as seen in a 2021 study in Science Advances which gave participants a math problem to solve. This problem contained a shortcut that was not disclosed to them. Some participants were encouraged to take a quick nap before tackling the problem, and those who did take a nap were far more successful in finding the shortcut compared to those who did not nap before tackling the equation.
Reduced Risk of Health Issues
According to the American Heart Association, napping and getting good sleep helps improve and maintain your overall cardiovascular health. “Better cardiovascular health helps lower the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems.”
Good sleep helps build a stronger immune system, improves the healing and repair of cells and tissues, and lessens the risk of chronic disease. Not getting good sleep can put you at a higher risk for cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes and more. So take those naps and get good sleep!
The Ideal Nap
To make sure that your naps are beneficial to your health and do not affect your typical sleep schedule, here are a few helpful tips.
Keep it short. Keep your naps under 30 minutes, and ideally around 20 minutes. This ensures that you do not wake up feeling groggy and in a sour mood for the rest of the day.
Nap in the early afternoon. For most people, this means napping before 3 p.m. but the general rule of thumb is to nap eight or more hours before your bedtime. This will make sure your naps do not interfere with your regular sleep schedule.
Get comfortable! Napping in a dark, cold, and quiet environment is best because it means a less likely chance of waking up and interrupting your sleep. Using an eye mask or earplugs can help achieve this environment! Some people may even prefer a noise machine to help block out unwanted noise.
Have you ever fallen victim to the 3 p.m. nap? Let us know by tweeting us on X @VALLEYmag!
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