Recently, I had a conversation with my mother about how it’s very difficult for me to go through a whole day without napping. She proceeded to call me lazy and started going on and on about my generation’s bad habits. But frankly, naps are definitely not a bad habit. In fact, they are a habit we should encourage one another to pick up.
I’m a firm believer that one nap a day keeps the bad vibes away, because they really do. Naps are the best because you can take one and immediately feel better and more rejuvenated afterward. I tend to get cranky when I’m tired, as do many others. So before I turn into a tyrant at 3 p.m. after a long day of classes, I snuggle up into my bed and take a nap instead. I notice a change in my mood immediately after waking up, and I feel ready to tackle the rest of the day ahead. For a college student, that means until midnight or later, so they always come at the perfect time. They are simply the best pick-me-ups that exist.
Another great aspect of naps is the alone time they give to the napper. While napping, and unconscious, everyone around you fizzles out of sight and mind, giving you complete and utter me-time. No one can bother you when you’re napping. It is a time of sheer peace and quiet. So whichever friend is annoying you at that time is just going to have to wait. Ain’t nobody got time for that. But I do have time to nap instead.
Naps aren’t a sign of laziness. Rather, they are a sign of genius. Because scientifically, naps have some pretty amazing benefits. Did you know that naps foster creativity? Or did you know that naps can improve alertness of the participant? How about the fact that naps help in coping with stress? Well, if you didn’t know, now you know. Naps aren’t just for kindergartners anymore, people! They can actually be beneficial for people of all ages.
So I hate to break it to those of you out there like my mom, but naps are amazing. You just have to open your eyes, well, rather close them, to how advantageous they can be. If everyone jumped on the nap bandwagon, can you imagine how much nicer our world would be? If famous warlords or terrorists took a nap instead of planning their next horrific act of malice, maybe they would realize how pointlessly malicious their planned actions really are. Or maybe, if some of our professors would take a daily nap, they wouldn’t be so hard on their students and maybe choose not to assign a seven page paper due the same week as midterms. Clearly naps could benefit the entire human race if everyone started participating in them. So tomorrow at 3 p.m., I better see you napping. You might just enjoy it like I do.
