Numerous studies have unveiled the tremendous benefits of afternoon napping, especially for children who require more extended sleep than adults. Recognizing this, a school in Sidoarjo has innovatively integrated afternoon napping as a mandatory subject for its students.
At Muhammadiyah 4 Zamzam Elementary School in Sidoarjo, East Java, this unique class is provided to students. According to a feature on Liputan6 SCTV, the school mandates an hour-long nap for its first-grade students. Located in the village of Jumputrejo, Sukodono, Sidoarjo, this elementary school has initiated the nap program to address children's conditions and lack of focus during daytime teaching hours, likely due to fatigue accumulated since morning classes.
"We've noticed a remarkable improvement in students' focus and overall happiness at school because they aren't overloaded with lessons throughout the day. From morning until just before midday prayer, it's lessons, then they have this afternoon nap break," shared Kiki Arya Wijaya, a teacher at Muhammadiyah 4 Zamzam Elementary School in Sidoarjo, in a TikTok video that went viral in September 2023. In the video, students nap on mats with their individual pillows, girls lying alongside each other, as do the boys, maintaining order during this nap program.
The teacher emphasized that children require more sleep compared to adults. Afternoon napping holds several benefits for children, from maintaining physical health to uplifting moods.
This sentiment was echoed by a student at the Sidoarjo elementary school who expressed greater contentment after the afternoon nap. A regular afternoon nap routine supports children's learning processes, aiding memory retention and enhancing focus during study sessions.
Routine afternoon naps contribute to children feeling more relaxed and rejuvenated. Upon returning to activities, they exhibit heightened enthusiasm and activity levels. Additionally, afternoon naps can optimize children's emotional development. Research even indicates that toddlers sleeping less than 14 hours tend to be more prone to anxiety and fussiness compared to those who get sufficient sleep.
Quoting Health Liputan6.com, afternoon napping refers to a short period of rest or sleep typically taken during the daytime. For many adults, especially working individuals, afternoon naps aid in maintaining alertness or combating daytime fatigue.
The necessity and benefits of afternoon napping vary for each individual. Nevertheless, some adults are unaccustomed to afternoon naps, even on work-free days, preferring to engage in activities during the day.
Afternoon napping doesn’t just dispel drowsiness; it also offers various health benefits. As per information from the Sleep Foundation, afternoon naps for adults yield several benefits:
1. Restoring and reducing daytime fatigue, particularly after nights of insufficient sleep.
2. Significantly beneficial for shift workers struggling to attain sufficient sleep due to irregular schedules, improving workplace performance.
3. Enhancing cognitive functions such as memory, logical reasoning, and task completion, with studies showcasing improved physical performance, reaction time, and cognitive abilities after afternoon napping.
It's crucial to note the duration of your afternoon nap. Ideally, it should not exceed 30 minutes to avoid experiencing sleep inertia when waking up. However, in some cases, longer naps around 1.5 hours may be beneficial, allowing the body to undergo sleep cycles and avoid disturbances. This type of longer nap might be highly beneficial for emergency workers and shift employees aiming to evade fatigue.
While afternoon napping can be refreshing for 90 minutes or more, excessive duration might disrupt nighttime sleep patterns, potentially becoming problematic.
