Napping is a critical aspect of every college student’s life. It is a time for students to get away from studying as well as the everyday stresses of life on campus. And with that, the Northern Star presents the top places to nap on campus.

Holmes Student Center, main floor

If you are the type of person who enjoys listening to music while napping, then the Student Center is the spot for you. Down the hall from the main floor computer lab just before the elevators lies a plethora of couches and cushioned seats for your choosing. Along with the low sound of classic pop music coming through the speakers or the occasional live piano performance, the Student Center is perfect for the student on-the-go trying to get a quick nap.

“It’s perfect because its directly in the middle of campus,” said sophomore marketing major Chris Gonzalez. “So if I want to get a quick power nap in but don’t feel like taking the bus home, I can just walk to the Student Center.”

In a study by NASA, sleep researchers found that a nap of 26 minutes can boost performance by as much as 34 percent.

And with Student Center being as busy as it is, it is usually pretty tough to get anymore than twenty six minutes of undisturbed napping, Gonzalez said.

“Yeah, [the Student Center] does stay pretty busy, but if you can get a quick one in before lunch usually its pretty quiet.”

Founders Memorial Library, 4th floor

In a study, recently conducted by University of California, Berkley, pulling an all-nighter during midterms or finals decreases the ability to cram in new facts by nearly 40 percent due to a shutdown of brain regions during sleep deprivation, which means sleep is necessary .

Unfortunately, though, during midterms and finals the library can get pretty hectic, but one area that seems to stay consistently quiet and tranquil is the 4th floor.

“A majority of the time, everybody is on the 2nd floor or in the café, but if you go to the 4th floor [there’s] never anybody up there,” said junior computer science major, Victor Johnson Jr. “It’s already warm and its just very relaxing.”

The 4th floor, which generally consists of rare and specialty books as well as technology, medicine and other miscellaneous volumes, seldom gets used due to the popularity of the 2nd and 3rd floors, which offer computer labs, said Johnson.

“Most students go straight to the 3rd floor when they come because that’s the floor with the computer lab,” he said.

Not only does the 4th floor offer a quiet and relaxing atmosphere ideal for napping, but, being on the top level of the library, it also offers students a great view of the campus.

“The view is great,” said Johson. “You really do appreciate the beauty of the campus.”

Barsema Hall

Being a business major is hard work. It requires long hours in the books as well as mandatory class attendance, so napping in this building is a common theme for many.

Jerry Sumara, a junior business administration major said that Barsema is the perfect place to catch some shut eye after a long night of Thirsty Thursdays.

“I’m usually a regular Friday napper,” said Sumara. “It’s so hard to stay awake in class after Thursdays, but I know I still have to go.”

Other students such as junior business major Tiffany Wells said the extremely comfortable seats make Barsema her favorite napping spot.

“The chairs in Barsema are really big and soft,” said Wells. “Its always so quiet and it sort of puts you to sleep.”

If oversized seating and a quiet atmosphere is what is needed to put you to sleep, then Barsema is definitely the napping spot for you.

Neptune Central, “The Fireplace”

Whether you are at home or on vacation in the mountains, there is something about a fireplace that puts most people at ease, and Neptune Central is no exception.

With colder weather quickly approaching, “The Fireplace,” as it is known, has become one of the most popular places to nap on campus.

“I think it’s a calming thing,” said sophomore communications major Jared Frye. “I don’t know what it is, but when you look at a fire, it just relaxes you.”

One downside of your conventional fireplace is that if you move too far away from the flame, you can’t feel the warmth, but this is not the case in Neptune.

“The furniture is perfect, because all the seats are situated in a circle surrounding the fireplace, so no matter where you choose to sit, you are always looking at and feeling the warmth of the fire,” Frye said.

On any given day you can walk through Neptune Central and find a half a dozen hard studying students sleep around the fire. Not due to their laziness, but because the atmosphere simply seduces students to relax.

So the next time your eye lids begin to feel heavy, instead of taking a fifteen minute bus ride home just to take a nap, you now have choices as to where to lay your head. Happy napping, NIU.