As a kid naps were the villain to a child’s fantasy; naps were the unwanted form of an energy boost. As kids we want sugar and various sweets. We want absolutely nothing to do with naps.

Attempting to put a child down for a nap is similar to pulling teeth. The resentment children hold against naps does not match up with the willingness teenagers and adults have to capture a few hours of sleep during the day.

“As a kid I remember running down the halls of house with my mom hot on my tail, trying to force me to take a midday nap,” freshman Bethany Eldridge said. I look back and laugh now because I take a nap every twenty minutes. Napping is my hobby.” 

Isn’t that odd? Isn’t it odd flashing back to your childhood and remembering how much you hated naps? As a kid taking naps told our brains that jumping around and playing with toys had to come to an end for a while. Although when a child develops into a teenager and a young adult sleep becomes more important to an individual and it becomes more of a choice instead of a demand.

“I feel like when you get older you have more stuff to do and get tired more easily,” junior Megan Cilits said.

As you age your body is starting to mature and you start to have major sleep concerns. One of them is that teens are naturally sleepier than younger children or adults. The second is that teens tend to get insufficient sleep during the week due to academic, social and recreational demands and try to make up for it on the weekend by sleeping late. In addition, teens have a delayed sleep phase, meaning they want go to bed later and sleep later than other age groups. Teens are generally taking on more adult roles while still having many of the needs of children.