National Public Sleeping Day Date in the current year: February 28, 2024

Sleep is an essential function that allows our body and mind to recharge. Getting enough sleep is crucial for our physical, mental and emotional health. The optimal duration of sleep varies from person to person, but it is generally thought that adults need 7–9 hours of quality sleep a day.

The condition of not having adequate duration and/or quality of sleep is called sleep deprivation. Both acute and chronic sleep deprivation has an adverse effect on one’s alertness, performance, and overall health. It may result in deficits in attention and working memory, irritability, and even short blackouts called microsleeps.

The dangers of sleep deprivation are especially apparent on the road. Sleep-deprived driving is a major cause of car accidents since sleep deprivation can impair human brain as much as alcohol intoxication can, causing longer reaction times and impairing coordination, judgment, and short-term memory.

Is there any way to prevent sleep deprivation when you cannot get your 7–9 of sleep every night? Taking a nap during the day might help. According to the results of a study conducted by Sara Mednick, a 60—90-minute nap improves cognition and memory better than caffeine.

But what if you don’t have the opportunity to take a nap in the middle of the day at home? This is where public sleeping comes to the rescue. Although napping in public is frowned upon in many cultures, the Japanese even have a special term for it: inemuri, which literally means “to be asleep while present”.

In Japan, falling asleep at work is excusable because it is considered a sign of one’s dedication to work to the point of exhaustion. Of course, the practice of inemuri has a few unwritten rules. First, one is supposed to remain upright while sleeping to show they are still socially engaged in some way. Second, it is acceptable for superiors to fall asleep in front of their inferiors, but not vice versa.

Taking naps in public spaces is less normalized in the Western world, but maybe it should be. National Public Sleeping Day was created to raise awareness of the importance of sleep and the dangers of sleep deprivation. Although you definitely shouldn’t be taking naps during a work meeting, taking a power nap during your deserved lunch break should be acceptable. Some companies, colleges and universities have special nap rooms for power naps. Maybe it is worth a try to ask your employer for one?

Most people have fallen asleep in public (on an airplane, train or bus, at an airport or a movie theater, at school or during a church service, on a beach or on grass in a park) at least once in their lives, and they have nothing to be embarrassed about. Celebrate National Public Sleeping Day by sharing your experience of napping in public on social media and encourage your friends to do the same.