With the semester in full swing, those recommended nightly 8 to 9 hours of sleep are scarce. Students have always had to compensate for those lost hours by adding in naps. One thing to consider is whether or not those naps are helping.

According to onlinecollegecourses.com, naps have many benefits. Naps as short as a single hour will reset your short-term memory to allow more learning. A 60-minute nap improves alertness for 10 hours. NASA found that a 26-minute nap increases performance by 34 percent and alertness by 54 percent.

I don’t know what I would do without my naps during the day. I get my best work done between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Given that fact, I need those naps to get any sleep during the week.

With the increase in alertness and productivity, it seems obvious that everyone should be taking naps. There are some downsides to daily napping as well.

People who suffer from insomnia will hurt their ability to achieve a good night sleep by napping. Excessive napping will ultimately harm your overall sleep hygiene. Another factor to consider is that napping can disrupt your body’s natural rhythm, which will throw off your days and nights.

I’m certainly a fan of naps when they are needed. However, before curling up in your bed for a long afternoon slumber take some of these tips from the Huffington Post into consideration.

• Short naps are always better. The longer the nap, the deeper the into the sleep cycle your body will go. Waking up from deeper cycles causes grogginess and defeats the purpose of a refreshing nap.
• Nap in an environment that is comfortable, quiet, dark and cool. Try to restrict naps to your bed for consistency.
• Try to nap before 2 p.m. This way the short sleep is less likely to interfere with nighttime sleep. If you struggle to sleep at night, avoid napping.

The next time you need a good nap, remember the above tips to maximize the benefits of your nap.