One medical school is turning to nap pods to help its students get enough sleep, reports IC Florida.
“By the end of first and second year of medical school, we actually see a decline in mental health where [ratings] of anxiety and depression symptoms are higher,” said Dr. Katherine Daly, of the UCF Counseling and Wellness Center.
So, on top of the first real research on sleep amounts for medical students, UCF introduced noise-canceling pods with floating chairs to give students a change to squeeze in a power nap.
It may only be a temporary solution when it comes to solving sleep deprivation in medical students, but in the 10-week study, the pods were used about 300 times.
Researchers said medical students often resort to pills, like Ambien, to solve their irregular sleeping habits, and that lack of sleep will only get worse as the students move on with their careers.
They hope the data can be used by universities to promote better sleep hygiene for medical students, but for now, researchers are hoping students can learn themselves the power of a power nap.
Read more at www.icflorida.com
