At These Universities, Sleep is a Priority

4/21/2015

Suada Kolovic

We've all been there: Going about our day as if we don't have a care in the world when it dawns on us that (go figure) that term paper on the pros and cons of procrastination in the creative process is due tomorrow. Panicked, we consider emailing our professor an excuse about a death in the family but given we killed off Nana (who's actually alive and well back home) last semester during finals week, we decide it’s best to pull an all-nighter. The next day, we're irritable, unmotivated and just plain sluggish and while the simple solution is to overcome procrastination and not leave an assignment until the last minute, some universities have implemented a temporary nap room while others offer free yoga and mindful awareness sessions. So which universities are prioritizing sleep?

According to the Daily Bruin, the University of California-Los Angeles recently hosted a series of events on campus to raise awareness about the importance of sleep. They even went as far as setting up a temporary nap room during "Sleep Week" and provided students the opportunity to participate in yoga and meditation sessions. The University of Alaska-Anchorage had its own event to help students learn tips about how to make small changes to improve their sleep habits. And for years, Georgetown University has put up posters on campus reminding students of the importance of a good night’s rest. "There's a weird pride in certain students when they pull all-nighters," Kendra Knudsen, a coordinator with the UCLA Mind Well initiative, told the Daily Bruin earlier this month. "They need to re-prioritize, if they don’t have time for sleep, looking at their schedule and seeing what is really important."

If you're a fan of napping between classes, do you think it’s your university's responsibility to provide nap rooms for students? Let us know what you think in the comments section. And don't forget to try and fund your education with as much free money as possible – a great place to start is by visiting Scholarships.com and conducting a free college scholarship search where you'll get matched with scholarships, grants and other financial aid opportunities that are unique to you!

#campus-life #college #college-and-society #college-classes #college-culture #college-life #college-news #college-students

Comments (26)

Zaire R 7/7/2015

I honestly do not believe students should be sleeping during school .... it is not the school responsibility to provide nap time for you that was for when we was kids school is for you to get an education, learn, learn social skills, job skills and also found out who you are as a person not some place were yu can go to sleep go to sleep early and may be you wont be so tired it not that hard honestly.... now i can see why people say they need to nap durin class maybe because their up all night doing last minute work or something but take a break relax so you will be energize the next morning that just what i believe in

Asheley Mitchell 5/4/2015

Absolutely, now I'm not saying that it is the responsibility of a college or university to provide a napping room for students but it would definitely be a great incentive because I for one am one of the main students on my college campus who you may catch napping in the computer lab or hallway on any given day because going to school full-time is exhausting and I would love to be able to have a place designated for sleep for me and fellow students alike who need a small nap in between classes.

Deja D 4/28/2015

Honestly I don't think it's a colleges job to provide a napping room or yoga room to its students. It is not a college's job to make sure a student is getting the proper rest they need to get through the day. Yes, I understand that it can be frustrating trying to grasp a handle on all the work that is needed to be done but creating a schedule for yourself can be very useful.

Ender W. 4/27/2015

Does it seem strange to anyone that some of these people are commenting at midnight?

Xavier E. 4/27/2015

No, it is no one's responsibility but our own. In the work environment, no one is giving us naps. Ultimately, that is what college is for -- to prepare us for the work environment.

D.C. S 4/25/2015

Can someone explain to me which job is like college? Let's make sure we are comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges.

Gabrielle M 4/23/2015

It would be nice if this were the case, but truth is naps ended in Kindergarden. Very few employers offer you a place to nap. College gets us ready for the "Real World." There are no naps until you retire.

daniella 4/23/2015

It depends...as students we need to take the responsibility of finishing our assignments on time. procastination is not a good option because then your going to stress yourself out. put priorities first. A nap room would be cool, but weird... I'm not sure if i would be comfortable sleeping around other people....

Victor R. 4/23/2015

I believe that scholars should have a nap room at a university due to the fact that if college scholars needs eight hours of sleep in order to succeed in their classes, a university scholar would need more in order to hand in homework if it is due the next day. The scholar stays up to do work and get little sleep and be less prepared for the next day starting with a quiz or an exam. If there was a nap room then scholars can sleep for a certain time and get the amount of rest a scholar would need.

Miguel V 4/23/2015

I don't think it's their responsibility to provide napping rooms. They're in college, they shouldn't need them to provide everything for them like their parents did for them. As Kolovic said the `simple solution to overcome procrastination` ,if they don't it's their problem.

Katie L. 4/23/2015

Yes, I think it would be great. I have Narcolepsy, so I am tired all the time and need to take naps. It would be great for normal people, but especially those with sleeping problems or disorders.

Henry 4/23/2015

Yes, definitely! As a student i needed a nap in btw classes sometims and it could really save me and could have made me being able to concentrate in the next class. But there was no where I could put my head down. So I used to all asleep in the library, but it was not ideal. I felt uncomfortable. I wished I had a place just to take a quick nap of ten min' and I couldn't. My home was not close enough so I could go home to take a nap and then come back for the next class. I even went to the nurse in school, tried to tell her all kind of stories so they will allow me to rest in one of the beds there. In conclusion, great idea establishing a nap center at every school. It will make student more focused in class, and get better grades!

Helen E 4/23/2015

I believe that students should make time for a nap. It would be great to make nap rooms especially for people who don't have cars to sleep in. I always see people sleeping in libraries and then campus police have to kick them out because they can't be sleeping in there. Sleep is very important all students should have time management and prioritize.

Lesmaelis V 4/23/2015

I believe, since students are paying for classes, in return, the college should make a napping center. Regardless, in my college, students sleep where ever they want. They even sleep in the library in between isles. I vote yes for a napping center.

SL 4/23/2015

This is amazing. I'm also a fan of Yoga and meditating. It is a great priority that universities can do for the students. This is also scientifically proven to enhance attention span and detailed work.

james m 4/23/2015

i think that universities shouldnt have to spend extra time and money on things like nap rooms because of a few students bad habits when they could be spending the money on funding courses on new maors and the like

M.S. 4/23/2015

Of course this would be a great opportunity for students who are awake mOst of the nights because their studying.#campslife

Stephen H. 4/22/2015

I think that sleep rooms are a great idea. We have so many students who travel to and from home and school that can't afford to go back home and sleep between classes. Its especially bad for students, like myself, who have two or three classes with a 3 or 4 hour (in my case 8 hour) gap between each one and just can't afford to drive home, so we end up sleeping in Starbucks or a noisy lounge in uncomfortable chairs, thus worsening our already horrible back problems from the hundreds or dolars in books we cary around all day. Having a sleep room would provide a quiet and comfortable place to sleep as well as alleviate the ever present concern we have about our things being stolen in our sleep or having date rape drugs put in women's water bottles and then being followed after they wake up (not as wild as it sounds, I know a lot of women with that fear) Not to mention it could open up jobs for student job programs, thus bringing up the question of how would they be funded in the long run

Adriana C. 4/22/2015

In my opinion there shouldn't be "nap rooms" because a nap is not going to give people the necessary rest that they need; what I believe it would br a better idea is yo implement relaxing programs like yoga, maditation, and more, but definitely not a nap break on those "nap rooms".

jocelyn p. 4/22/2015

Sleep is important especially got college students they usually stress about midterms and various other stuff there fore sleeping sessions would be grate

Symone N. 4/22/2015

Even though a lot of college students like to party, I still believe that they should offer nap rooms. After being in class for hours during the day, students feel tired and worn out. Having nap rooms would help them rejuvenate and process information.

Kyle L. 4/22/2015

I think it should be up to the students whether or not they want to. I would sure love to take a nap and relax a little bit but sometimes I'm awake and want to keep moving. Therefore the students should decide for themselves whether they want to or not because there's nothing wrong with sleeping, wsleciay because it's healthy.

Elvis S. 4/22/2015

Yes a nap is perfect. You can listen to your notes over the nap, or maybe soothing inspiring music. You can't force something unnatural like staying up late nights studying kids need rest just as much as graduates and them with careers. The system has to know we aren't robots and that we the people are rushed causing bad performance crude behavior and weak eyes. A nap can make life more pursuing and closer to the goal of happyness; some people may have an inspiring muse that can be a root of the next big thing. Sheeps ain't just for cotton and people ain't just for long days at a desk for testers.

Amber G. 4/22/2015

My thoughts about this idea of letting colleges allow students to have a sleep room is a brilliant idea. Reason being is because as a senior in high school sometimes I have to pull an all nighter myself in order to study for a test and finish up homework. Then comes the next day and I am a walking zombie throughout the whole entire day. So, providing students in college to have a sleeping room, yoga and meditation practices is a smart plan. It will help those students who stay up each night relax their mind, not be so tired, focus more and be more prepared for their test and not have to worry about falling asleep during finals.

Taylore M 4/22/2015

I think relaxation rooms are a great idea maybe a place to wind down and get things off your mind. It being called a nap room is not the right name. If students decide they want To nap then so be let them nap. Having a room for relaxation is a great idea it's a safe environment for other students to interact yet have alone time if they desire. Not everyone can just leave campus and go back home or to there apartment and a relaxation room that all students could go to between classes will be a benitfical thing.

Natasha M 4/22/2015

I have narcolepsy, so my need to have a place to take a nap on campus is a bit different than most. Although I take medication to keep me from falling asleep when I shouldn't, I still often feel the excessive daytime sleepiness that narcolepsy causes, and could easily take naps during the day. I don't have the ability to pull all-nighters like many students do. I have tried once or twice and just end up falling asleep anyway (usually only an hour or so before I should leave for class). Then I end up missing class altogether. The medication only works if I get at least the minimum amount of sleep that I need. Plus, I'm not exactly a traditional student. I have a husband of 13 years and two little girls, in addition to being a full-time student. So, yeah, I think I should definitely have a place on campus to take a nap if I need to!

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