JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Go ahead and take a nap today because, well, it’s National Napping Day.
It’s no coincidence the day is observed following the return of daylight saving time. It’s a great excuse to catch up on the hour of sleep lost to the annual time change.
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Naps are scientifically proven to combat mid-day fatigue and provide energy.
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A NASA study showed that a 40-minute nap improved pilot performance by 34%.
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Doctors often prescribe scheduled napping for patients suffering from narcolepsy.
Sleep tight!
History of National Napping Day: From National Today
National Napping Day was created in 1999 by a Boston University professor and his wife. William Anthony Ph.D. and his wife Camille Anthony created this holiday to spread awareness on the importance of getting enough sleep and its benefits. The holiday was meant to help make up for the amount of sleep lost when the hour changes. The date was chosen because studies have shown that people are already at their most tired and sleep-deprived after daylight savings changes. The change of the hour really makes a difference, but National Napping Day can make you feel like there was no change at all.
However, even though the holiday wasn’t created until 1999, the Spanish already had the tradition of taking an afternoon “siesta.” That’s good news for Spain, since daylight savings won’t affect the routine of the people there too much. The Ancient Romans were known to take midday naps as well. With the hustle and bustle of modern life midday naps seem more like a thing from the past to most people. Naps are seen as luxuries now, a symbol of extra time most of us can’t afford. But back then naps were seen as a necessity and were sometimes used for medicinal purposes and even religious practices. Even though National Napping Day was created 21 years ago, it still doesn’t have actual recognition as an official national holiday. Although National Napping Day isn’t technically a real holiday, who doesn’t love a reason to nap?