Essays

Is Napping Beneficial?

Are you tired right now? Although you may not know this, everyone needs certain amounts of sleep. The older you are, the less sleep you need. For example, school-aged children need at least ten hours of sleep each day, but adults only need seven to eight. How Much Sleep Is Enough, (PG 3) says, "If you routinely lose sleep or choose to sleep less than needed, the sleep loss adds up ... short-term sleep deprivation leads to a foggy brain, worsened vision, impaired driving, and trouble remembering. Long-term effects include obesity, insulin resistance, and heart disease." Napping is a good thing to do because naps make you happier, they make sleeping easier for people with unusual work schedules, and they help keep you focused.

For one reason, naps make you happier. When you get more sleep, it is only natural that you should be happier, because you are more rested and can think more clearly about what is happening in your daily life. I personally know that when my siblings take naps, they are much happier and have a better attitude. My dad says, "The best thing I can do at work if the day is dragging along, and I'm grumpy, is take the time I would usually take for a lunch break and go put the seat back in my car and take a nap. A nap will usually do wonders for my outlook on whatever task I'm trying to complete." Some studies have shown that after naps, people are happier and more alert. All in all, naps can make you happier and have a better attitude.

Another reason is that naps can make it so that people with unusual work schedules, such as a doctor, can still sleep and get the rest they need, even when they can't sleep in the night. The Secret Truth about Napping, (PG 5), says, "Doctors in training, known as residents, work very long hours. As a result, they are often sleep-deprived. Sleep experts recommend that these health workers take short naps on the job." One can see that naps help doctors, shift workers, and other people who need more sleep because of their job, stay alert, focused, and concentrated while doing their important jobs.

Finally, naps can help you be more focused. Quite a few of great leaders, such as Napoleon Bonaparte and Winston Churchill, and brilliant scientists, such as Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison, have been known to take frequent naps to help deal with pressure and think quickly. When NASA decided to study whether astronauts should take naps, they found that napping does improve memory. They also discovered that longer naps worked better than shorter ones. On page 5 of The Secret Truth about Napping, the article says, "The main take away seem to be that a deep sleep, whether it is nighttime sleep or a day-time nap, primes the brain to function at a higher level, allowing us to come up with better ideas, find solutions to puzzles more quickly, identify patterns faster and recall information more accurately." After a nap, people do better work, avoid mistakes, and concentrate on what they are supposed to be doing. On page 6 of Ask the Sleep Doctor, Dr. Daniel Vesslor, M.D. states that napping will help you, "Wake up refreshed and have more energy to focus," Overall, napping is good because you will be more focused and concentrated.

It is often thought that napping is unproductive and lazy. In America especially, naps are thought to be only for little children, even though most people enjoy naps. However, napping is actually a good habit because it helps you be more focused and less sleepy when you wake up. Napping can also help you do your job better and make fewer mistakes. I personally dislike taking naps since I always have a hard time falling asleep, nevertheless, I have found that naps help me focus on my schoolwork and remember certain details that I wouldn't remember otherwise. Sometimes I have trouble finding a time to take a nap, so I have assigned a certain time to nap, which is right after school. Then, after my nap, I work on my homework and usually get it done faster than if I hadn't taken a nap. One can see that napping is good because it helps you focus better, remember details, get done faster and make less mistakes.

In conclusion, napping is a good idea because they will help one be happier, people with unusual work schedules can get the sleep that they need, and one will be more focused and alert. Naps help one be happier because they can restore the sleep you missed, calm you down, and help you relax from the struggles of the day. Naps can especially help doctors, who have problems getting enough sleep, by giving them a chance to regain the proper amount of sleep they need to focus and do their extremely important job correctly. However, napping doesn't just help doctors. Naps can help everyone concentrate, make less mistakes, work faster, and recall specific information. I challenge you to take a nap and see the benefits that come from getting the sleep you need!