Every March, National Napping Day serves as a reminder to get more sleep. This holiday falls immediately after daylight saving time when we could use some extra shuteye, but the importance of quality sleep should be recognized every day. This holiday was invented to highlight, appreciate, and spread awareness toward the health benefits of nodding off for a good nap.
This observance encourages a healthy nap and reminds us there is no shame in resting your eyes. Preparing for the time change can throw off our body clock and internal sleep schedule, but many other factors can contribute to a lack of sleep and waking up in a foggy cloud.
Why Don’t We Nap?
Most of us don’t get enough sleep—whether we’re too busy at work or too busy binging the latest season of our favorite show. When life gets busy, it’s customary to keep pushing through your daily routine, but when you’re feeling overworked or overwhelmed, this is the ideal time to take a quick nap.
Napping shouldn’t be synonymous with laziness—it should be synonymous with a proper health care routine. Most adults rarely make it to a full eight hours, let alone make time for a mid-day nap. Taking a nap is quite beneficial for both our mental and physical health. In fact, a daily nap is an integral part of many cultures around the world and scientifically proven to be good for you.
Once the midday fatigue sets in, some much-needed rest can improve your mood and energy levels throughout the rest of the day. After taking just 20–30 minutes to rest, you’ll notice how much more alert, aware, and productive you become almost instantly.
History of Napping Day
National Napping Day was invented by William Anthony, Ph.D., a professor at Boston University, and his wife Camille Anthony in 1999. The couple set out to educate people about the power of additional sleep and how a good snooze can be of tremendous importance to your health.
It's observed right after daylight saving so sleepers are reminded to take the time necessary to adjust to their new sleep schedule. The Anthonys felt people would be more in need of a nap after springing forward and losing an hour of sleep. If you’ve experienced the time-change grogginess in the past, this is your signal to celebrate National Napping Day. Make the time to cozy up with a blanket and catch some well-deserved ZZZs.
How do you Celebrate?
It’s easy—National Napping Day is celebrated by dozing, snoozing, and sleeping, and any other name for a nap. Take the time to stop what you’re doing and spend a few extra minutes catching up on rest. It's been a busy and hectic year like no other, so go ahead and rest your eyes for a moment—you deserve it.
Catch a quick snooze, post about it on social media, and use the hashtag #NationalNappingDay to spread awareness of the importance of sleep to others. If you’re lucky, you might be able to get some rest at work. It’s not sleeping on the job when you’re celebrating a holiday.
Nap Facts
There are plenty of fun facts about naps and the health benefits of a good snooze, and we highlighted a few of those benefits below:
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Regular naps decrease heart-related deaths.
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Napping Improves short-term alertness.
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Taking a nap can lower blood pressure when feeling stressed.
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Naps improve performance and productivity at work.
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The ancient Romans considered dozing off after meals to be an integral part of life.
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1 in 3 adults in America is not getting enough rest.
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Humans are the only mammals that plan naps.
If you aren’t already taking time out of your day to catch up on sleep, now’s the perfect time. It's a great way to welcome daylight saving time while you improve both brain and heart health.
And if your mattress is affecting your sleep quality, that’s a good place to start. Your mattress can make all the difference between tossing and turning and sleeping on a cloud. Give us a call, shop online, or visit our store to explore our entire catalog of mattresses and sleep accessories.