We at Health Education and Promotion (HEP) were excited to see Corrie Jacobs’ informative article on the importance of sleep and napping. We know that most college students’ schedules are a balancing act of commitments to work, school, internships and extracurricular activities, making sleep the first thing to go. But when students cut out sleep, performance in school can suffer. In fact, according to 2009 National College Health Assessment data collected on our campus, about one in five UC Davis students report suffering negative academic impacts – such as a failing grade or dropping a course – as a result of sleep difficulties.
Jacobs also noted that naps can boost performance and concentration – and she’s totally right! The benefits of napping, including better academic performance, outweigh potential costs such as taking time away from studying. Napping can actually help you study more effectively by allowing your brain the down time it needs to process and store new information in your permanent long-term memory.
HEP offers napping and sleep resources for students, including nap kits containing an eyeshade, earplugs and napping tips that you can get for free by visiting the Health Education and Promotion department on the third floor of the Student Health and Wellness Center. To find the best places on campus to nap, ranked and reviewed by your fellow students, check out our Nap Map by going to healthcenter.ucdavis.edu/hep/well/napping.
Sweet dreams!
Amelia Goodfellow
Sleep and Stress Student Assistant
Health Education and Promotion
