/ Offices/ Spiritual Life/About Us/LC Naps

LC Naps

Sometimes, in the middle of the day, our body says to us “I need a break.” We may be used to rerouting to the Dovecote and pushing through, but there’s only so far we can go without the sleep and rest we need.

The LC community has got you! There are many nap lovers here. Here you’ll find napping resources such as a Nap Map of great spaces for a few minutes of mid-day shut-eye, some info about why rest is so vital, and details about the weekly LC Group Nap!

College students are among the most sleep-deprived population. Most of us need 7-9 hours a sleep each night, but this isn’t always possible with college life. Napping be a great mid-day boost, whether it be an hour or two deep break, or a 20 minute snooze!

It’s a practice though — many people find naps to be disruptive to their afternoon productivity or their sleep, it’s too easy to get cozy and lose motivation, abandoning the rest of today’s tasks until tomorrow. For napping to be most effective, we all have to figure out what works best for us. Keep reading to learn some great napping tips and explore our favorite rest-resources!

Some Potential Benefits of Napping

Higher levels of energy throughout the day
Better mood
Greater readiness for movement, exercise, and other self-care activities
Improved memory and cognitive functioning
Increased alertness, focus, and motor performance; fewer mistakes/accidents
Greater respect for your limits

Best Rest Tips

From the Longhorn Wellness Center:

campus naps ideally last between 20 and 30 minutes
use your phone alarm to wake you up on time
nap between 1 and 4pm to avoid disrupting your night’s sleep
schedule it! a quick nap can be perfect for between classes or in the middle of a planned study marathon
stretch a little before and after your nap, it will help you feel better all day

Campus Nap Map

Inspired by some peer campuses around the country, we’ve started compiling this map of community-recommended rest spots on campus. These spots are great for mid-day moments of rest, but are not reserved for napping so be aware of nearby campus activities and use your backpack or jacket as a pillow to play it safe. Have a favorite spot that is not on this map? Share it with us and we’ll add it to the map.

LC Group Nap

The Office of Spiritual Life staff love naps! Rest and care for body, mind, & spirit are practices we care about and believe are essential to community work, personal growth, and finding meaning in life. We also love our peaceful and quiet spaces — we have several awesome nap spots right near by.

Starting in March 2023, we’re hosting LC Group Nap in the Agnes Flanagan Chapel. Think late-week siesta culture! The Chapel is a peaceful, dark, quiet, and central place on campus for a pause. Swing by Thursday afternoons for your late-week recovery time.

This is a together space, not a social space… it can help us to stay accountable to our goals when we are among others, but please respect other’s personal nap time and socialize outside on your way to/from your nap.

The Chapel (and Spiritual Life Lounge downstairs) are almost always open and quiet spaces for you to rest or work quietly — please feel free to use them for rest as needed.

Rest is Resistance! and The Nap Ministry

The Spiritual Life staff have been reading Trisha Hersey’s book and are inspired! Check in out!

“Rest Is Resistance is a battle cry, a guidebook, a map for a movement, and a field guide for the weary and hopeful. This book is rooted in spiritual energy and centered in Black liberation, womanism, somatics, and Afrofuturism. With captivating storytelling and practical advice, all delivered in Hersey’s lyrical voice and informed by her deep experience in theology, activism, and performance art, Rest Is Resistance is a call to action and manifesto for those who are sleep deprived, searching for justice, and longing to be liberated from the oppressive grip of Grind Culture.”

Join Maddie Herrup of PDX Hillel for her Spring semester book group to dive into this book with others!