Some High Schools Are Letting Kids Take Cat Naps

Teens need between nine and 10 hours of sleep a night, according to the National Institutes of Health, and only about a third of them are getting even eight hours. So some high schools in New Mexico are testing out high-tech sleep pods that let students nap for 20 minutes and then head back to class refreshed and restored.

"It really was beneficial, educationally, to put them in the pod for 20 minutes and send them back to class, rather than have them miss half a day," explains school nurse Sandy Peugh. "And it wasn't just kids who had sleep issues. It worked on kids who had anxiety - extremely gifted kids who might have test anxiety. Teachers came in, stressed out, and we'd put them in the pod."

Students say the quick visits to the pod help them focus and manage stress. And while some parents question if napping is a good use of school hours, sleep researcher Linda Summers points out that tired kids can sit in class, but can’t listen and pay attention as well when they’re overtired. So a fast cat nap can help them learn, and that’s what it’s all about.

Source: Good Housekeeping


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