Shirley Xu, Contributor
The sun warm on your face, the grass a soft cushion, the faint murmur of students passing by—what more could you ask for in a napping spot? That settles it––my go-to location to nap is Three Bares Park. During the 30-minute breaks between my classes in first year, this was the perfect location to drift away and, thanks to its proximity to Leacock 132, maximize my nap duration. My favourite sleep position is simple: Head on backpack, hat over face, phone alarm in hand, lying on the incline. The best part was the warm sunlight, and as we move into chilly October, I can’t help but reminisce about those September naps. Napping during school hours was something I never had never done before university, but it’s a great way to re-energize between long classes and catch up on missed sleep when schoolwork and extracurricular life becomes hectic. In fact, researchers at McGill encourage napping!
Wendy Zhao, Student Life Editor
During the school year, the hours of sleep I get in my apartment every night never feel like enough. Even with my yearly goal to schedule in the recommended eight hours each night, friends, schoolwork, and odd corners of the internet regularly keep me up into the wee hours. When exhaustion hits, a library desk and the fold of my arm provide enough comfort to put me to rest for a few minutes. For a longer nap, the couches on the upper floors of the Music Library are a haven. Facing away from the study spaces and instead toward the large glass windows, you are both hidden from other students and warmed by the sunlight. To assuage the fear of having my things stolen, I hug my backpack while I sleep.
But setting alarms in a quiet atmosphere can be tricky, so I’ve resorted to using my earphones. Sudden blasts of noise streaming into your ears can be a terrible way to wake up, especially when enjoying a sweet dream, but I’ve decided it’s a price I am willing to pay for a few added minutes of midday rest.
Holly Wethey, Student Life Editor
I used to find it really hard to nap in public and I definitely would never have been caught dead napping on campus in my first year. However, over time, I’ve gradually come to realize the necessity of rest, even if that has to happen away from home. Key to this realization is the fact that no one really cares when you nap in public; everyone is simply too busy with their own day to notice someone curled up in a corner snoozing. This is why I have taken to lying in the lower field, with my head on my tote bag and resting my eyes. In all honesty, I usually go there to try to study, but this proves to be difficult when you’re lying on your stomach in the grass. It’s a dangerous game, and I often give up and close my eyes while people rush busily by on the Y-intersection.
Kennedy McKee-Braide, Managing Editor
Anyone who has ever travelled with me has likely been filled in on the fact that I struggle to sleep in places I’m not “meant to”––even on red-eye flights, I usually end up staying wide awake. My ideal napping set up involves my bed and a good set of blackout curtains.
However, as I’ve gone through more of my degree, naps have become more necessary, and I’ve had to try and adapt. In my first year, I found I was able to doze off on the––admittedly disgusting––couches in the Arts lounge in Leacock basement. Once the iconic spot shut down for renovations, however, I found some other spots, including the Ferrier lounges’ homely couches. While my on-campus naps are still rare, a good couch does wonders when needed.
