Katie's Blog

College Culture (Draft)

November 24, 2024 at | In Uncategorized | No Comments

In the whirlwind of college, where academic pressure is at an all time high, social activities, sports practice, and part time jobs colliding, napping has become routine for students. Between the late nights doing homework and early morning classes, many students will turn to a nap for a quick energy recharge between lectures and practice. 

From an early age, students were encouraged to nap. In kindergarten there is designated nap/rest time blocked out during the day. Naps help children’s brains convert short-term memories into long-term memories, which improves their ability to learn and transfer information. When talking to XX and asking their thoughts about kindergarten nap time she said, “I miss those days. I think everyone needs naps, especially adults and we should formally incorporate those into our days now.” Unfortunately, once students get to first grade, naps become a thing of the past and suddenly everyone is assumed to have enough energy to go seven plus hours per day (or more) nonstop. 

As students continue to get older their schedules only get busier with academics, activities, sports, clubs, jobs and more – while their available time for sleep dwindles. In addition, while this is happening, in most cases students are required to get up extremely early for school in middle school and high school – and sometimes college – during a time when students are not wired to wake up early. There are actually school districts that have changed the start time for their middle schools and high schools due to the fact that it is more beneficial to those students. A meta-analysis of existing evidence found later start times were correlated with better attendance, less tardiness, less falling asleep in class, better grades, and fewer car crashes (Wheaton, A. G., et al).

In college, there is an increasing struggle for proper sleep, especially those with 8 a.m. classes. Staying up late to study, finish assignments, and having a social life leaves students with a minimal amount of sleep before the alarm goes off to begin the next day. The tiredness carries on through the afternoon with going into a “food coma” after lunch. Post lunch exhaustion hits, making it difficult to concentrate on lectures or other school work. For most, the solution to this is a power nap, even if it is just 20 to 30 minutes, to revive their energy and to complete their tasks. Short naps are often one of the best and most effective ways to build the strength for afternoon classes, sports practice, and their part time jobs. 

To get firsthand perspective information, I had an interview with Amber Hofmeister, a junior in bio-chem major. “I have always enjoyed naps, but they have come more essential to me since college,” Amber stated. “With  8 a.m. classes, I typically am up by 7, and with homework and practice, I usually am not in bed until after midnight. By lunchtime I am completely exhausted and most days have time for a quick nap before my afternoon lab. With naps, I am able to feel revived and more focused.”