According to Merriam Webster, a nap is defined as sleeping briefly, especially during the day. It is important for young children to take daily naps. It may be even more important for college students and adults to take naps.
Different countries around the world take part in something called a siesta, which is defined as a rest taken after lunchtime. These countries include Spain, the Philippines, many countries in Southern Europe and South America. People go home from work to take a nap; businesses close and everything essentially shuts down. The countries that use this practice are typically found in warm climates and the Siesta time is used to avoid the hottest hours of the day.
As children, we would try and do everything we can to avoid taking a nap or even going to bed at night. We would come up with excuses like, wanting a glass of water, needing to use the bathroom one more times or wanting to ask our parents one more random question before they turn off the light. I bet that most of us are kicking ourselves now and wishing that we could have gotten those extra minutes of sleep we missed out on. I know I am.
More cultures should adopt the wonderful principle of a siesta, especially the United States of America. Americans are constantly on the go and do not take time to relax; many of us are stressed out because of how fast-paced our lives are. If Americans took the time out of their day for a siesta, their lives would not be as stressful, which would lead to fewer health problems. Citizens in countries that do participate in taking a siesta are much healthier and less stressed than citizens in countries that do not. Children are encouraged to nap, and their lives are not nearly as hard or stressful as college students or adults.
Taking a nap is usually an important part of my day, even if it is only for 15 minutes. Those 15 minutes of lying in my bed with my eyes closed during the day gives me the energy I need to get through the rest of my day. It is my own personal form of a siesta. On days I do not get to nap, I feel more stressed and tired; I end up drinking so much coffee that it leaves my hands shaking from all the caffeine.
It is known Hemingway used to take naps and work late at night. If a great writer like Hemingway used to nap during the day and stay up late, why can’t it be culturally acceptable for college students and adults to do that same? I mean that it is what I do anyway. I find that taking a nap during the day and working late at night is how I get my best work done and I don’t feel tired while doing my work. I am sure that this is why Hemingway did this.
The average American consumes about 200 milligrams of caffeine per day. Coffee and energy drinks are used to keep people awake and often consumed around midday when it feels like a person is crashing and running low on energy. If we took the time out of our day for a siesta, which would occur around the time of day where people are burning out, there would be no need for coffee and these energy drinks that contain dangerous amounts of caffeine and sugar.
Taking a siesta, or even a quick little catnap, would greatly benefit many people in America. For my own mental and physical health, I always make sure that I have at least 15 minutes each day in which I can lie in my bed with my eyes closed and I can just relax. When I don’t have those 15 minutes, or at least two cups of coffee, I turn into a scary person that I wouldn’t want to mess with.
