I Believe in Naps

by Mary Metzger


Let’s face it, folks, we live in a day and age where a proper sleep schedule is difficult to obtain. There are far too many things fighting for our attention at any given hour of the week. We find ourselves falling asleep too late only to wake up too early, setting five alarms to make sure we wake up on time, and nodding off at the most inopportune moments. 8 hours a night is necessary, but sometimes even THAT is not enough.

For this reason and more, I believe in naps.

Think about it. When has a nap been a BAD thing? As long as it doesn't last longer than anticipated, it’s most likely beneficial. Many great men of history were nap takers. Our eccentric former president, Lyndon B Johnson, took a 30-minute nap routinely to break up his busy schedule of running our country. John and Jackie Kennedy took 1-2 hour naps on the daily. DaVinci was known for napping in the face of daylight and sleeping less by the moon. Even Winston Churchill advocated napping. “You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner, and no halfway measures,” he wrote. “Take off your clothes and get into bed. That's what I always do… You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one — well, at least one and a half.”

Does that not sound like an idea to get behind?

My own personal experience with napping was startlingly successful. Most of my sophomore year of college was spent sleeping 3 to 4 hours at night and catching up with 3 to 4 more in the afternoon. It sounds like a harrowing experience, but I rarely found myself lacking energy or a desire to rise out of bed when I woke. In fact, I was MORE willing to take on the day than I had been before.

My tale may be a little extreme, but I’d wager that a variation of nap taking exists for every personality type. Even a mere 30-minute power nap can be beneficial. Perhaps less than that, if you can’t spare the half hour. Salvador Dali would fall asleep holding a spoon, which would then clatter to the floor and startle him awake. I can’t picture myself benefiting from something so fleeting, but hey! I’m not a painter.

There are many forms of nap taking out there from which we can reap the rewards. I would encourage all people to dabble in this skill and utilize it to the best of their abilities.

I believe in naps!