Naptime: Not Just For Kids Anymore!

We're all too familiar with the lack of sleep that college students suffer from. It's a wondrous occasion when we can sleep more than a few hours a night, especially when finals roll around. So, how can we beat this lack of sleep and stay healthy, happy and not want to punch things everyday of finals?

POWERNAPS! That's right, power naps. Generally, when people say "nap" I think of kindergartners asleep with their little mats and blankets on the classroom floor...then I think of how awesome that is!

They look so comfy...

 Seriously, sleeping is so rare in college students' life sometimes, I get ridiculously excited when I think about getting to go to bed. Yes, it is very possible that I'm just incredibly sleep-deprived, but most college students get less sleep than we'd like to. This usually goes back to the idea of procrastination, an affliction many of us also suffer from. We tend to procrastinate to the point that we're forced to finish assignments right before they're due, causing us to get up early or go to bed late the night before a class, resulting in a lot of yawns and desperate fora nap. So, why not take one?

Naps are actually really help, if used effectively. I'm not recommending you go and skip class and sleep for three hours. Instead, try taking a break between or after classes to lay down for thirty minutes, put the phone and iPod away and just relax. Sleep isn't necessary, but if you do crash, just set an alarm to wake you up after 20 minutes. 20 minutes is the optimum time for your sleep cycle to complete and you wake up rested and refreshed.

But even if you don't sleep, laying down and having some time to yourself can be just as relaxing, letting your brain chill and stress to disappear. Like everything, use these breaks in moderation but hopefully this is helpful so you can rest without thinking you need 3 hours for a nap.

What do you guys think? Is this helpful? Are there other ways you relax? Let me know!