They say once you start you can’t stop, and without my daily fix, everything that seems right in my life collapses. From the moment I wake up to the second my head lays back on my pillow at night I’m thinking about it. Always planning how I can fit it into my busy schedule, willing to stay up late in order to feed my addiction. My name is Riley Hyatt, and I’m addicted to napping.

Not everyone has the gift of being able to nap, but let me tell you, I do. The enticing thought of a nap pushes me through my busy schedule of AP classes and after school activities and I intend to help everyone become as obsessed with napping as I am.

One of the first keys to the perfect nap is to obtain the perfect sleeping conditions. Ideally, one would want to take a nap in a dark, quiet and cool space free of distractions or noises. According to health.com, there are also foods that promote a better quality of sleep if eaten before taking the nap. Both bananas and sweet potatoes contain the natural muscle relaxant, potassium, and sleep-promoting carbohydrates. Generally speaking, foods containing carbohydrates and ranking high on the glycemic index are good to eat before sleeping. Foods containing caffeine and protein such as coffee, dark chocolate and chicken should be avoided before naps.

Although I believe the power of power naps to be a myth, a Flinders University study disagrees. Zero, five, 10, 20 and 30 minute naps were trialed by people restricted to five hours of sleep each night and of the five durations tested, a 10 minute nap was most effective in eliminating fatigue and sleepiness. Mayoclinic.org also says that “The longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy afterward.” As hard as it may be for me to admit that a short 10-15 minute nap is ideal, it is the most efficient way to nap even when you’re not short on time.

Over winter break, I took a nap almost everyday. Not to mention the fact that I woke up no earlier than 11 a.m. most days. The way I see it, I’m blessed with a two week break not so I can clean my room, but so I can relax and destress from school. Having a two week period to myself allows me to truly relax and napping helps me to temporarily rid my body of the anxieties I feel when I’m awake.

Nothing can conceal my love for napping and as far as I’m concerned, there’s no better way to spend gobs of my time.