In the year of a pandemic and constant isolation, everyone has found themselves with a little too much time on their hands at one point or another. Some people are lucky enough to have creative talents and devote extra time to their projects, but others may not find themselves as lucky.

With too much time and too little to do, it only makes sense to get some extra sleep by taking a nap. After all, sleeping restores energy. Energy keeps you awake. When you’re awake, you can do a lot more things and do them well.

Nivedhaa Kumar, freshman at HEHS, said she takes naps once a day. “It really seems to improve my concentration and energy,” she said.

She recommends that the perfect time to take a nap is in the afternoon. “That way, when you wake up, you still have time to finish any schoolwork or study,” she said.

Wonder Odutola, junior, agrees, but adds that 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. is the best time during which to nap. “My naps are one of my favorite things to do. If I don’t nap, I become grumpy and angry and I react to everything,” she said.

On the other hand, Justin Du, sophomore, doesn’t really take naps. “I never take naps because I have things I want to do and I don’t want to end up waking up from a nap with a tired and woozy state of mind that procrastinates for the rest of the day,” he said.

So are naps truly beneficial or a waste of time? According to Du, naps are still pretty beneficial.

“Even though I don’t take naps I can still see the appeal. Some people need more energy to be able to get through the rest of their day,” he said. “Whether you didn’t get enough sleep or are just burnt out, it is still beneficial and depends on your schedule.”

Nivedhaa and Wonder agree. “Considering the load of schoolwork I have, taking a 2-hour nap is a great de-stressor for me,” Nivedhaa said.

While we’re on it, make sure to get enough sleep tonight!