To Nap, Perchance to DREAM: A Factor Analysis of College Students’ Self-Reported Reasons for Napping

Although napping has received attention because of its associations with health and use as a method to understand the function of sleep, to our knowledge no study has systematically and statistically assessed reasons for napping. Using factor analysis, we determined the underlying structure of reasons for napping in diverse undergraduates (N = 430, 59% female) and examined their relationships with self-reported sleep, psychological health, and physical health. The five reasons for napping can be summarized using the acronym DREAM (Dysregulative, Restorative, Emotional, Appetitive, and Mindful). Only Emotional reasons for napping were uniformly related to lower well-being. The use of factor analysis raises possibilities for future research, including examining the stability, structure, and psychological and physical health processes related to napping throughout the lifespan.