Liana Jackson
Mr. Reuter
Economics
1 October 2016
Napping is Beneficial
It’s been about a month since school started and it’s that time of year where we, students, are finally getting back into the full swing of school. Unfortunately, this means no more sleeping in until one o’clock in the afternoon of summer or taking leisurely naps whenever we feel necessary. While those of us who are so called “guilty” of taking naps whenever we please, would be surprised to find that those naps are actually beneficial to our health.
There are actually three types of napping categories: planned napping, emergency napping, and habitual napping (National Sleep Foundation). Planned napping is when you take a nap before one actually goes to bed (or gets sleepy), this would occur if you knew that you had to stay up later than your normal bedtime. Emergency napping is for those who cannot continue an activity and are suddenly disengaged and drowsy; these naps may be for those who suddenly get tired when driving or working with dangerous machinery (National Sleep Foundation). Lastly, habitual napping, are naps that people take around the same time of day, young children are often those who take this type of nap.
America recently has started becoming more and more sleep deprived due to long work hours and busy schedules. Because work, school and other activities seem to take more importance, the opportunity cost is the sleep lost. While sleep can be a want it is truly a need as well: sleep is essential to live healthily. Yes, while trade-offs of taking a nap can take time away from homework or sports, the 20-30 minute nap can increase alertness and boost your energy.
In a study at NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts, it was found that a 40 minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness by 100% (National Sleep Foundation). The marginal cost of taking the 40 minute nap, is outweighed by the marginal benefit due to the benefits of increased alertness and improved performance on the job. Not only does napping help when it comes to work, school and other activities, napping can allow your body to relax and rejuvenate itself (National Sleep Foundation).
Overall, napping is beneficial for your body and mind. Taking those summer naps were not something to be ashamed of, and instead something to be encouraged. Maybe you should plan a 30 minute nap for after school to increase your energy and boost your alertness for when it is time to work on your homework.
Works Cited
"BENTHAM INSIGHT." BENTHAM INSIGHT. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.
"Napping." National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation, 2016. Web. 02 Oct. 2016.
Knowing that Naps are beneficial in many ways like productivity and alertness, do you think schools might consider continuing "nap time" past our early childhood years- all the way up to high school? It may sound like a slightly ridiculous idea at first; but if it helps with students focus and productivity then why not try it?
ReplyDeleteSleep is always important and we were all taught that 8 hours of sleep is enough. Simply even daily naps would be so nice, but people just don't have the time. Sleep is so important not just to re-hydrate yourself but as you said, for your mind as well and I think more people need to take the time out of their day to either go to bed earlier or see if a nap could be taken to get extra sleep, because it can do a lot for your body and genuinely make you feel happier and less sluggish, especially is theirs a type of person who is constantly nagging and over tired.
ReplyDeleteI've never been much of a "nap" person, but after knowing this it might be time to switch. I used to fall asleep when I wasn't feeling the best and would wake up worse. Hopefully these facts about how long you should nap and the affects are true, because I've never been able to get a good nap. These facts are just more proof that, even in high school, we should have designated 20 minute nap times. Everybody, including the school, wants good grades and this would be more obtainable if we all just napped during the day.
ReplyDeleteI agree, that taking those nice little naps is actually beneficial. That's why I believe that there should be like a nap lounge in the high school. Because I have in past experience, stayed up till 1 am doing school work and being very tired the next day. And during my free period I would take a short little nap and when I would wake, I would feel full with energy and I could focus a lot better. That's why they should build a nap room in the high school for the kids that could use a nap to get through the day.
ReplyDeleteIt’s great to know that napping isn’t some deadly thing. But most people, especially teens nowadays, can’t really get in naps. This could be because of family matters, after school programs, sports, or a job. With that job, we get less time because many teens need the money to pay for their car and its insurance. So with this all known, it really does suck to know that a nap is important to have, but no one ever has the time because we need to do other things so we can make it in life. And with everything stated in mind, I bring back the thing many teens say as a joke in High School, we need an actual nap time so we can relax and rejuvenate ourselves. And you can say that a senior could do that during a free period, but some people may not be able to have a free period due to classes or age. So to conclude, naps truly are great and we really need to try to incorporate them more into daily life, but the issue is how and not when.
ReplyDeleteSleeping is something that every high school student wants to do. Even when I get out of bed in the morning, I want to get back in right away. Even during the summer when I would get up at 11:00am. But it is very important to get a lot of sleep to enhance your brain and muscles. When I hear people tell me, “Oh, I only got 3 hours of sleep last night and I feel fine,” I know they really are not ok. I read on Stanford Medicine one day that 87% of high school students don’t get the 8-10 hours of sleep needed to re-energize the body. That is a staggering statistic! Then some people wonder why they start falling asleep during class or perform poorly in a game or a practice because their body doesn’t have enough energy to get them through the day. In a way, sleeping is just like reading--you can relax and delve into a whole new world. Even if it’s only for 30 minutes, 30 minutes can make a huge difference. As stated in your post, if napping for 40 minutes increases your alertness by 100%, then everyone should be taking a 40 minute nap everyday and see how much their mind and body will change!
ReplyDeletePeople do take naps whenever they want some of the time during school. Which gets them more energy however they will get in trouble at school for taking a nap. Also when a person don’t get enough sleep that person will take more naps at home and will have way less time for homework. So High Schoolers shouldn’t take a nap when they get home they should just go to bed a little earlier so that way you planned it and so you don’t unexpectedly take a 3 hour nap when you were only planning on doing 30 minutes.
ReplyDeleteI think that because we are still young, we are naturally energized, but still want to sleep because it is easy and relaxing. If sleeping for just 20 minutes can get you a little more energy, it might help to actually spend that time sleeping instead of doing something else that might be “more” productive. As high school students, we are constantly faced with busy schedules and challenging homework, so it might actually help if we had a planned time in our day to take a small nap. I realized that for myself specifically, I don’t find it simple to sleep during the day because I want to get my work done. Many other students and adults might agree with that too, so it would probably be beneficial for us to unwind with a nap and see how it affects us and our mood.
ReplyDeleteThis topic that you chose was really interesting because I didn't think that napping was a need really. The fact that you brought up the 3 different kinds of "needed" naps was really surprising because normally its just taking a nap but I guess they created names for different types of naps which is super interesting! This topic should be spread out more so people aka schools know that its beneficial for us to get sleep or be able to have something like a nap time, maybe there would be a huge increase in our education and our performances too, just from a 40 minute nap. Since we as high school students aren't getting the sleep we need so we are starting to lose that good sleep feel, and as you proved in your statement above if we just got a short nap we would have more energy and be more aware.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, it makes me want to have a nap in school. Just like we did in Kindergarten, except we would be allowed an hour of sleep. I knew that sleeping was healthy for you, but I didn't know the different time amounts and what they did. I can tell when I take a 20 minute nap, I feel more awake afterwards. Also, when you sleep too much, I heard that you can be tired after that. I think it's weird how sleep can affect someone's mood throughout the entire day. I've also noticed that when I get 4 hours of sleep, I actually feel more awake right away in the morning, but then super dead towards mid-afternoon. On the contrary, when I get 7 hours of sleep, I'm tired right away in the morning and more awake later in the day. I wonder why that it. Maybe I should take a nap when I wake up, haha.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this, it makes me want to have a nap in school. Just like we did in Kindergarten, except we would be allowed an hour of sleep. I knew that sleeping was healthy for you, but I didn't know the different time amounts and what they did. I can tell when I take a 20 minute nap, I feel more awake afterwards. Also, when you sleep too much, I heard that you can be tired after that. I think it's weird how sleep can affect someone's mood throughout the entire day. I've also noticed that when I get 4 hours of sleep, I actually feel more awake right away in the morning, but then super dead towards mid-afternoon. On the contrary, when I get 7 hours of sleep, I'm tired right away in the morning and more awake later in the day. I wonder why that it. Maybe I should take a nap when I wake up, haha.
ReplyDeleteNaps are important and I agree that afterwards they can boost your energy. Though, I don't really enjoy naps because it messes up my sleep schedule. I don't know, they somewhat bore me honestly and then after a nap, it'll interfere with my sleep schedule at night considering I'll be more awake. Plus, with after school activities or sports and by the time I get home, there really isn't enough time for me to take naps. Though, sometimes a nap is beneficial and I probably should switch my ways considering it's not the best option to lack or live off of not enough sleep. Whenever I have to wake up for school in the morning, I'll want to keep sleeping and I tell myself I should probably go to bed earlier the previous night so I'll have enough energy for the next day.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was a very unique topic that you researched. I liked how you chose a topic that was not necessarily money related. I was surprised by some of the facts you found because I have always been told that napping is not good for you because it screws with your circadian rhythm and sleep cycles. While I do enjoy napping, I cannot nap for more than ten minutes, no matter what type of nap it is, because then I can’t fall asleep at night. So one of my opportunity costs of napping is then getting less sleep at nighttime.In some instances it is worth it, but others not, and I have to constantly look at those trade offs.
ReplyDeleteI personally am a frequent napper, and try to take naps at least a few times a week. I usually plan to nap after doing an hour of homework after school because I have also found it to be helpful if I am not as alert and cannot focus. Although, if I nap for more than a certain amount of time (usually more than a half-hour) I become more drowsy than I was before and would find it interesting to see if there is studies that after too much napping the marginal cost is not outweighed by the marginal benefit. Also, my “power naps” only happen after a certain time of day (before dinner or right after) because if they are too early and long it takes caffeine to wake me up and if they are too late I often sleep until the morning. As the frequent power napper that I am, I would like to know more about the effects it has on age demographics (young children get nap time, why can’t high schoolers?) and if as the older you get naps are more or less helpful to the productivity of a task. And if the broken up sleep schedules are completely fixed with just naps?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Allison Andes because sleep is essential for every high school students. Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Getting enough quality sleep at the right times can help protect your mental health, physical health, quality of life, and safety. I had once read an article which stated that the way you feel while you're awake depends in part on what happens while you're sleeping. In children and teens, sleep also helps support growth and development. So sleeping more is not because of laziness but because out body lacks the amount of sleep that a normal human body needs. Sleep helps your brain work properly. While you're sleeping, your brain is preparing for the next day. Sleep is always forming new pathways to help you learn and remember information.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you napping is beneficial. Whenever I have time I nap even if it is only for a few minutes. Yes it would be nice to have time to sleep during the day like during school hours considering that’s when I tend to get the most tired. There have been days where I come home from school and just sleep because I’m so tired. I know that it might not be that good to sleep for more than an hour when napping, but I still do it anyway because my body needs it.
ReplyDeleteDon't you just wish every day, from 12:45-1:00, we just had a 15 minute time period, where the whole school is silent, and we just have a planned nap time. After seeing your arguments over napping being beneficial, I really think that this would be a great idea. As you said in your post, a 15-20 minute nap is easy to wake up from and gives you an energy boost. I really think this would give more energy to all students for the latter half of the day.
ReplyDeleteI like the argument for a napping period, although that would probably translate to more time spent at school, which many agree is too long already. It's been argued that a 8:30-9am start time is ideal for highschoolers in need of sleep. Personally I think if we could cut lunch time to 15-20 of eating and allow time for an option between 'recess' and a 20min nap that would be ideal. This way kids can exercise to rejuvenate or sleep. Also, the timing isn't added to the school day in large chunks.
DeleteRedmon I completely agree with you. Based of your data, if we were given a nap right in the middle of the day we could be much more beneficial in the class room. This could prevent students from falling asleep during lectures and will make the teachers happier too. Also teachers could get in on the nap time too and receive similar benefits.
ReplyDeleteI think having a nap during the day is a great idea, it not only gives you enough energy to get through your day, but it helps you live a healthier lifestyle, one that you're not sleepwalking through, because you haven't slept in days. A 15-20 minute nap is more beneficial in this day in age than anything else, with longer work hours, and long school days, people need a chance to have a break and just relax, in order to take on the rest of the day. I also don't think anyone should feel ashamed for taking a nap during the day because of the benefits it provides, I enjoy a good 15 minute nap every once in a while, and I believe a lot of people would think the same way if they just gave it a try.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe that naps are beneficial, but honestly, I do not think that I have ever really taken one unless I am sick. Instead, I usually just go to bed a lot earlier if possible. It is just easier for me that way since it is very difficult to find time to take the time to nap due to school, work, and homework almost every day. I definitely agree with Redmon, where the school should set aside nap time for students. That way, we would not need to try to quickly take a nap after school. I think a nap is really what most students needs. But what I’m wondering is if napping is more beneficial that just going to be earlier like I often do? It seems like it would be better to get all of your sleep done at once, but I’m not exactly sure. I just agree that students do in fact need more sleep and a nap could possibly be the best way to go about it.
ReplyDeleteTaking a nap every day, as you stated, is extremely beneficial. I used to take a 1-2 hour nap everyday after I came home from summer lifting, and I would feel ready to take on the rest of the day. However, now with school and football started, I find it nearly impossible to find a time to take a nap. Whenever I am awake, I am either in class, on the field, or at home doing homework. If I were to take a nap right after I get home, that would just push my homework time back, and would shrink my good night's sleep.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do believe that naps are beneficial, but honestly, I do not think that I have ever really taken one unless I am sick. Instead, I usually just go to bed a lot earlier if possible. It is just easier for me that way since it is very difficult to find time to take the time to nap due to school, work, and homework almost every day. I definitely agree with Redmon, where the school should set aside nap time for students. That way, we would not need to try to quickly take a nap after school. I think a nap is really what most students needs. But what I’m wondering is if napping is more beneficial that just going to be earlier like I often do? It seems like it would be better to get all of your sleep done at once, but I’m not exactly sure. I just agree that students do in fact need more sleep and a nap could possibly be the best way to go about it.
ReplyDeleteI feel that most of us don’t get close to enough sleep to what we should be getting so naps are a very good resource. I never noticed how there are different types of naps. This was very interesting and the fact that the certain amount of time of naps taken does different things for us. I thought the piece was very good and to the point with no run on sentences and distracted topics. I thought the conclusion could have been a little better just because I feel like it wasn’t really finished and there was more to be read, but overall I thought the blog was very good.
ReplyDeleteSleep is something very beneficial to our lives as students. Often times us students have busy lives with sports, homework, and stuff around the house that we loose a little bit of sleep every night. Eventually we become sleep deprived and honestly don't preform well in school because of this. Back in the day we used to have nap time in Kindergarten. This usually was a small 20 minute nap that really re-charged my day. Now I don't think the marginal cost of napping would outweigh the benefit. Yes you would miss 20 minutes of learning, but students would become more energized throughout the day and preform better on assessments and class participation. Now if a nap wasn't offered then the school could possibly start a bit later in the day to offer students this extra bit of sleeping so when they come to school they aren't sleepy, but they're ready to go!
ReplyDeleteI would with Shelby in the fact that this topic is very interesting considering how it doesn't involve a monetary cost. This topic helps to visualize how opportunity costs can be an idea or material instead of just a price. I would also agree with Redmon that we should have a scheduled time period of the day where students can take the time to take a nap and go to their remaining classes with as much energy as they had to start the day. Clearly based off Liana's data the benefit would be worth the slight loss of time that would be needed to implement this into our daily routine. I think this would allow students to stay alert for the later periods of the day, specifically fourth hour, as well as after school activities.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the post that napping is essential to not only our mental health, but physical health as well. It is very true that people nowadays are so busy with everything around them that sleep is usually compromised. There’s just so much stuff to get done and not enough time of day to get it done, that we end up working into our sleeping time. Students especially, with homework, sports, extracurriculars, a job, service hours and finding time for a social life and spending time with your family or even just finding a moment to relax on your own, it’s impossible! I find it helpful to take a nap and give my body and brain a break. After a good nap, I feel a lot better and ready to take on the next task, but there really isn’t much time for that. As stated in the post, naps really do improve your performance and I think we all need to take some time out of our busy schedules and find some time to give our bodies some extra sleep time to recharge so we can improve our lives.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic that isn't usually brought up but nonetheless I am glad it was. A while back in middle school the topic of a nap club was brought up where kids were allowed to nap for a hour. I personally think that nap club could be the best idea, I mean who doesn't want to take a nap, this club could be used as a free period replacement and be used for kids to regain their energy if they got a lack of sleep. So I say lets get the school to get on this nap club lets bring it to the school its clearly very beneficial so why not I say!?
ReplyDeleteWe often push aside our own health - including amount of sleep - in exchange for productivity like schools assignments or a few more hour's pay at work. Naps are often dismissed as "childish" or something we should outgrow, but they are important in keeping us alert and ready for each day. I think it's important to bring up how much sleep the average person (or teen) gets versus what is recommended. . that would really emphasize the benefit of naps. It is especially important that we take care of our bodies as we begin to move away from home and into the "real world". A little extra sleep can go a long way.
ReplyDeleteAs a High School student who has to juggle work, homework, and extra curricular activities just like the rest of the student body, I agree that naps are essential for our health and energy throughout the day. Maybe an even better idea for napping with a busy schedule is to start with planned napping, but then make those naps habitual. If we can make time in our day for school, work, homework, and after school activities, we can certainly make time in our day for, like you said, a 20-30 minute nap. The opportunity cost may be less time for homework or another daily activity, but in the long run, the largest opportunity cost will be losing sleep due to all the activities we partake in daily. This blog post has been a great reminder that students need to nap more often in order to keep themselves healthy and energized.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to hear that I'm not just being lazy, but helping my productivity on my tired days! Though it would be interesting to see at what point the opportunity cost of a longer nap is high enough to prevent actual productivity. For example a 30 minute planned nap that becomes a 40 minute nap might not cost much homework time, but a 30 minute planned nap that turns into an hour and 30 minute nap might been too much of an opportunity cost for the average student to pay every day.
ReplyDeleteI love taking naps more than anyone I know, however I question if napping actually increases productivity and alertness. When I wake up from naps I always feel completely out of it and almost lightheaded. I usually then get off task and don't focus as easily, and it takes me much longer to finish my homework. I'm not sure if this is just an issue I face or not, but in my experiences my alertness and productivity don't increase after taking naps.
ReplyDeleteI often will take a nap on my free period, and I usually find that when I wake up I am usually groggy. I also found that when I go to bed that night it is harder and I lay in bed for longer not being able to sleep. So although naps may feeling nice I feel if I do take naps I stay awake longer than I normally would. Therefore I am probably getting the same amount of sleep a day.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I find myself taking a good amount of naps mainly when I have free time and don't have much to do. When I do take these naps I find that one of two things happen: I'm either groggy and crabby or re-energized and productive. When I do take these naps, it's hard to fall asleep later in the night which leads me to believe that there isn't really a trade-off when I do take naps. Overall, I think naps can be beneficial but not always because they might leave you worse off than you were prior to the nap.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic because most high schoolers are very busy and are often very tired. I know I find myself tired most days during the day and not getting enough sleep. So, when I get the chance to take a nap I take one. The other thing about naps that gets pushed aside is naps are viewed as a childish thing to do when really it's beneficial to everyone.
ReplyDeleteThis is a creative topic to write about because I never really thought about how you could incorporate economics into this. It is very true and it was fun to read because getting back into the swing of school is hard because it means less sleep, more homework and more stress. This is a good article to read because I personally try to get to bed by 8:30 every night because I need the sleep. Most of my friends make fun of me for it but this article proves it is good for you.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with this whole essay. napping is a part of the day more for elementary children take the time to settle down and get re-energized so they are able to focus on the next part of their day. Teens and Adults don't have that option anymore and I think that we should. This is because we work harder now that we are working to reach a goal and so during the day we are so drained so that when it comes to hanging out with friends, we don't feel like it or have the time because we are so excused and need and quick nap to give up more energy.
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