College campuses across the country, including the University of Michigan and Macalester College, are installing designated napping spaces for students in need of a break from their studies. While St. Thomas does not offer these spaces currently, students and faculty believe they would be beneficial.
Psychology professor Roxanne Prichard, who conducted a study revealing connections between the amount of sleep students get and their academic success, described these rooms as a place for students to take a little time to unwind and relax.
“The general idea of a nap space on a college campus is the idea that there’s a room or some sort of space just set up for students to take naps,” she said.
Prichard said she believes St. Thomas students would benefit from the installation of these spaces, but the university first has to agree before it could implement the idea.
“I would love to see it happen,” Prichard said. “I don’t think it’s something that the university prioritizes yet or sees as important.”
Junior Aarron Santos likes the idea of St. Thomas adding nap rooms to campus and said he would use them if he needed a break.
“If I had enough time where I had a long enough break and didn’t have stuff that needed to be done, then sure,” Santos said.
Prichard said commuter students would benefit the most from the spaces.
“(Commuters) would really need it. They just physically have no place to lay down and feel comfortable,” Prichard said. “Given how sleepy students are and how many students have to commute, I think it would be good.”
Senior Courtney Middaugh agreed with Prichard.
“I know a lot of people who don’t live on campus but have to stay around here, so they would probably benefit by taking naps,” Middaugh said.
Although students nap in various places around campus, such as the Anderson Student Center, the décor does not invite napping.
“The new furniture in the ASC doesn’t seen nap-friendly at all. It’s anti-nap,” Prichard said.
Prichard said 20-30 minute power naps can help memory and boost performance.
“Students tend to be very sleep deprived,” Prichard said. “Sleep routinely is one of the top five concerns students have. The most challenging thing in their life is getting enough sleep, and it’s affecting students’ academics quite profoundly.”
Middaugh also said that sleep deprivation affects students’ academic performance and that these spaces may help students.
“If students are studying hard and doing their homework, they’re not going to get enough sleep, and their performance on their tests or homework might not go as well because they’re sleep-deprived,” Middaugh said.
Prichard said little changes the university can make are worth the benefit students will see.
“Whatever institutions can do to help students achieve, that goal would be important,” she said.
Kathleen Murphy can be reached at murp0003@stthomas.edu.
If we had napping rooms, would cuddling be allowed?
Or…. you can use your brain when scheduling courses, stop slurping down red bull, get a dorm room (the original campus nap room), or simply suck it up. College is supposed to be a challenge not a Sandals resort. Good luck finding a meaningful job that offers nap time after graduation. If you absolutely must sleep at school do what the rest of us did and learn to sleep sitting up with a pen in your hand, it is a much more efficient use of your time. And remember; Macalester students need a nap room because Ultimate Frisbee and hemp bracelet braiding are demanding pass times. We want them to be well rested for their next protest/hipster convention in the quad.
^^ This is why St. Thomas students have a negative reputation outside of the bubble.