Week 3

This is my log of naps from September 22nd to September 29th.

9/22 - Tuesday: 1pm-4pm in the house
9/23 - Wednesday: 4pm-5pm in the house
9/24 - Thursday: 12pm-3pm in the house
9/25 - Friday: 11am-2pm in the house
9/26 - Saturday: No naps!
9/27 - Sunday:5pm-7:30pm in the house
9/28 - Monday: No naps!
9/29 - Tuesday: 2pm-3:30pm in the house



As you can observe, I took naps basically everyday except Saturday and Monday, and both days I did not take a nap not by choice but because I had to either work the whole day or study for a test. Mostly I took the nap because I had the time to spare. I know the naps are preventable because usually I am not exhausted from school or work, and I just take them because it has become a routine and it is hard to break out of habits.

I believe operant conditioning is perpetuating my unwanted behavior by my family encouraging me to take a brief recess from work and studies, and during summer it was a good way to get rid of an abundance of time. Now I think that the unnecessary long naps cause me to take a step back instead of refueling my energy and body to its original state. Also is it not beneficial for my time now that I have midterms coming up. Before this observation I used to think that my body needs this relaxation time in order to function, but on days that I don't take naps I am totally fine and sometimes even more energized than days I do take naps.
Also taking long naps throughout the day allowed me to sleep later at night, around 1am to 2am, which I thought was giving me more time to study as opposed to days where I did not take naps. However, since my naps usually take more than 2 to 3 hours, and on days I don't take naps I sleep around 12am, I would have more time to study on days I don't take naps.

This article that I found called, 'To Nap or Not to Nap: Is That the Question?" ( http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep-disorders/archives/Snoring_apnea_nap.htm ), raises a good question that leads to a suggestion:

"The answer depends on at least two distinct and crucial questions: for people with normal nighttime sleep habits, how long a nap? And, for those with excessive daytime sleepiness, is this due to self-imposed sleep deprivation, narcolepsy, or sleep apnea, or something else?"

The article also informed me, saying that:
"Excessive sleepiness during the day most often results from people just not allowing themselves enough time in bed to get the normal 8 hours of sleep. In this commonplace situation, short naps seem to serve a useful purpose.

If I were an employer trying to get the most accurate and productive work out of my employees, I might even consider allowing them an extra 15-30 minutes off after lunch-provided they spent that time in a specially designed "nap room," conducive to sleep and not to running errands, making phone calls, reading the newspaper, etc.

Of course, long naps (an hour or more), and naps taken late in the day, run counter to the rules of good sleep hygiene. They may make it more difficult to sleep at night; this may be important for people who suffer from nighttime insomnia."

I have already distinguished that my naps are unusually long. Moreover, I believe I don't have any sleeping disorders or am sincerely deprived. Thus my long naps are definitely not absoultely necessary, and I should induce it to 30 minutes.

Thanks for reading and I will appreciate any comments and suggestions.