With the new school year starting, students will be facing long months of school, piling homework assignments, and endless tests to study for. Pair this along with typical teenage anxiety and emotions, school begins to become very stressful. Roughly 1 in 5 teenagers experience feelings of anxiety or depression, largely contributed to by the overworking of classes.
In kindergarten and preschool, kids are often forced to take naps to give them a break from the overstimulation of school. While this is a great idea, high school students have the most stressful load, creating a need for a break from overstimulation. High school students often don’t get enough sleep, with loads of homework, anxiety, drama, social media overuse, and extracurriculars taking up most of their time.
Looking around a typical classroom, it’s not hard to spot students falling asleep for hour-and-a-half long periods or chugging highly caffeinated drinks, which have long-term health effects. A short nap period would help rejuvenate students, helping them be more alert and attentive to their teachers. According to a study by the University of Delaware, “nap time improves neurological functioning in teenagers. In fact, many studies show that a 20-30 minute catnap can help students feel more alert and focused.”
Recently, colleges such as Stanford, the University of Miami, and Washington State University have added napping pods and areas, essentially places where students can lock themselves in a pod to take a quick power nap. High schools should invest in places or areas like a section in the wellness center to give students the option of napping.
Overall, due to the lack of sleep and high stress levels, high schools should implement some form of napping options throughout the school day.