Naps and Sleep Deprivation: Why Academic Libraries Should Consider Adding Nap Stations to their Services for Students

Abstract

Since the invention of artificial light, people have been working, studying and playing for longer hours than ever before. They are also sleeping less as a result. This article examines the impact of sleep deprivation on people generally, and specifically on college students. Students accrue a large sleep debt that impairs their ability to function adequately. Students suffering from sleep deprivation can be as impaired as if they are drunk. They suffer damage to their minds and bodies. Adequate sleep can repair this damage, but with the many demands on college students, they may be unlikely to be able to accomplish this. Studies have indicated that naps are beneficial in helping to reduce students' sleep debts. Universities are realizing the importance of naps, and university libraries may be ideal locations for napping stations. Several options of providing students with safe comfortable napping areas are discussed.

Academic libraries as active contributors to student wellness

“…Resting in libraries is natural according to Wise (2018), who noted that libraries are ideally situated as places to nap; as teens and young adults are notoriously sleep deprived, offering quiet places with comfortable furniture may be an important way that libraries can support student wellbeing. McGee, Nagel, and Moore (2003) assert that spiritual health is also an important health dimension for college students' wellbeing that should be supported.…”

Services for Student Well-Being in Academic Libraries: Three Challenges

“…Brewerton and Woolley's (2017) paper is one of the first papers to report on well-being work in libraries in the UK, however a number of previous papers from American authors have explored activities such as therapy dog programmes (e.g. Bell, 2013), yoga sessions in the library (Varman and Justice, 2015; see also Casucci and Baluchi, 2019) and more recently, napping (Wise, 2018). Subsequently, in the UK a number of professional events have enabled librarians to share experiences of offering these services.…”

Inclusive Library Service to Individuals with Mental Illnesses and Disorders

“…Some academic libraries provide compiled health resources, such as subject guides filled with local resources and helpful information. The trend of focusing on student wellness is increasing in academic libraries with finals weeks stress relief activities, animal therapy visits, and expanded operating hours for extra studying time, with one librarian even promoting the value of nap stations so students can benefit from extra sleep during stressful times of the semester (Ramsey & Aagard, 2018;Wise, 2018).…”

“…One article from the University of Toronto Library and Information Science program discusses the use of this type of meditation in the classroom, easily applied to a library event or even a one-shot instructional library session (Hartel, Nguyen, & Guzik, 2017). Another article (Wise, 2018) extolls the benefits, particularly in the long term, of adding napping stations in the library. Looking at the impact of sleep deprivation on college students, the author examines the potential and evidential damage to students' minds and college careers.…”