Amani Khanna- Week 14: Too Much Sleep?
If you are like me and school drains your energy, then you are probably also like me, in that you like taking naps. My nap taking skills are exceptional, maybe even reaching historical levels. Unless there is something keeping me busy, other than homework, I have had the same after school routine since seventh grade. I come home from another exhausting day, sit on the kitchen table to have another one of my mother’s home cooked meals, and then fall into a deep sleep for around two to three hours depending on the day. Afterwards, I start my homework and do whatever else I need to do around the house or for extracurriculars. It is not a particularly efficient way to get things done, but it works for me. Recently, it has gotten better because my parents have been forcing me to get into bed by eleven P.M. and then I automatically get tired and go to sleep, but I still somehow find a way to get my naps in. However, thinking more about it, I have realized that it is probably unhealthy to sleep this much. A recent study looked at the relationship between napping and Alzheimer’s disease over 14 years. Excessive daytime sleeping among older adults may signal — or might even cause — neurological changes. Although this is concerning, other studies show that napping can actually improve memory. One study shows that napping is actually as efficient as nighttime sleep, in enhancing memory processing. These contradicting facts make it hard for me to decide whether or not to change my sleep schedule.
I found your blog about the importance of sleep to be very informative. Although I myself do not get as much sleep as I would have liked, I agree that sleep is a major factor in brain performance. Your body and mind heals during the time when you sleep, and not having enough sleep can prove to be detrimental to your health. I think that we should all strive to get 8 hours of quality sleep to not only improve our memory, but also our well being.
ReplyDeleteHi Amani, your blog reminded me that although sleep is relaxing and much-needed, it can also have dangerous effects if the sleep time is not adequately monitored or taken care of. Napping is a quick, easy way to get a break in the middle of a long, tiring day; it is most commonly known to help us be productive for the rest of the day. After all, if our bodies aren't rested, neither are we!
ReplyDeleteHi Amani, I found your blog on naps and excess sleep to be very surprising and informative. It is interesting to see how excessive daytime sleeping can neurologically change your brain. However, some studies show a conflicting idea that naps can improve memory. Even if too much sleep can be harmful to your health, it is equally as detrimental to not get enough sleep.
ReplyDeleteWow, 3 hours is a long time to nap! However, if it works for you and you find that you are able to complete everything you need to, it does not seem that significant research indicates you should stop. Of course, getting 8 hours of sleep a night is a must, and you may see your lengthy naps decrease significantly once you start doing that.
ReplyDeleteHi Amani, I personally don't take naps, but if it works for you, then you shouldn't change it. I mean, with APENG and probably all our other classes, we're not getting enough sleep anyway. Anything to make up the amount of sleep we lose each night can't hurt. What I think we need is a designated nap period in our school schedule, just to make school bearable each day.
ReplyDeleteHi Amani, I admire your ability to take naps; it's something I've never been able to do. However, I had never known that there was research which indicated that too much sleep was bad for you. Sleep is clearly something that even our best scientists do not fully understand yet, so I think the best way to form a sleep schedule is to simply find something that works for you.
ReplyDeleteHey Amani, see your ability to nap during the day is astonishing to me i can never get myself to fall asleep during the day for a small nap. My body only sleeps for long periods of time unless I'm waken up by someone else. I find it amazing that people can take naps especially because i cannot.
ReplyDeleteHi Amani, I think that napping varies from person to person. When I take naps, I tend to wake up and feel unmotivated. However, this school year forced me to stay awake for many nights with no sleep, and after I got home, I had no choice but to take a nap. If napping works for you, then I see no problem with it.
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