NapSpot: Muse

Muse

ahhhh muse. Everyone's favourite study/chill out zone/ eating hub (other than the actual hub). It is also a prime napping environment with plenty of hidden areas and closed off sections for you to rest your tired head. This area has the added benefit of super comfy beanbags and cushiony chairs and sometimes even soundproof rooms! Just remember, try not to take up too much room from the actual hard working students who are there to study. Its an easy way to make enemies... 

Go to the coloured section for the comfiest seats! Those little orange pods are highly recommended.


Writer -
Katherine McArthur

NapSpot: The Lake

The Lake

LOOK AT THIS! LOOK AT THE SUNSHINE! AMAZING!!!!

The lake is the perfect napping  environment on a beautiful sunny day! Go soak up that vitamin D and get a tan by the sunning Macquarie Lake. All you need is soft, cushiony laptop case or bag or even a rolled up jacket and you're set! Nap with a friend for extra security of your belongings and play some music to hep with your tranquil experience. This spot is ideal for a midday break as you wont be disturbed by other nappers. Beware of birds though. This spot is notorious for poop.

Writer -
Katherine McArthur

Stress-free sleeping

Stress-free sleeping Tips for better sleeping!

Have you ever tried sleeping the night before some major exams or the day before some sort of confrontation with an incoming conflict? Do you remember  how long it took you to get to sleep, tossing and turning, only to get a few hours of sleep riddled with nightmares of the incoming event. This can all be linked to stress, anxiety and excitement to some extent.

Stress acts similarly to your body telling you that something is wrong although most of the things it tells you are wrong is only because you make it out to be something far worse than it really is in your mind. This can also be attributed to the environment and people you surround yourself with telling you that certain things are wrong or bad, things such as failing an exam. And this can lead to nightmares.

There are a few methods you could use to deal with stress before sleep, or in some sense to De-stress yourself.

* One thing I noticed through life experience was to avoid horror movies and angry things (such as loud, heavy metal) than my solution is to spend 1-2 hours before sleep without these things. This period will be the wind down period.

* The wind down period is to as the name suggests wind down. To calm yourself, to release the stress and stop thinking about that which scares you or in another sense stimulates your mind to a great extent.

* I suggest drinking some tea and listening to some soft music (I tend to listen to Jazz, orchestral and in some cases Church Chants) to wind down or calm down). Another thing I would suggest is watching animal video (I like cat and dog videos personally) that are great for winding down as they are very happy videos and animals are so cute.

* If you are religious, You could practice praying or whatever your religion preaches which could calm you down spiritually and mentally.

* A great tip would be to take deep breaths before sleep. This means inhaling air until your stomach goes out ass much as it can and until you have more than enough air. Then simply exhale and repeat it five times. This is also a great tip for stressful situations in general such as speeches. Taking five deep breaths before the action or event will go a long way to calm you down.

* Taking a shower is a great way to calm down after and before events. This also includes when you are feeling stressed or afraid. This not only relaxes your muscles but increases your internal or body temperature which makes sleeping much easier and is one of the reasons people generally feel calmer after a shower.

* My last recommendation with winding down or de-stressing is to exercise. Exercising uses a lot of energy and is a great way to remove or waste your anger in some sense. This is seen best in releasing your anger on a punching bag or spending energy running around your nearby area.

These tips help me on a daily basis to get a good nights sleep and de-stress on a general basis. If you are having problems sleeping, I suggest you give these a shot!

Writer:
Aleksandar Bjelosevic
aleksandar.bjelosevic@students.mq.edu.au Image:
http://askdrernst.com/wp-content/uploads/Sleep.jpg
https://cdn.psychologytoday.com/sites/default/files/styles/article-inline-half/public/blogs/46501/2011/05/65205-55645.jpg?itok=AuOEmFhc

Sleeping Correctly

Sleeping Correctly

Have you ever had a bad sleep (or a painful one) where you wake up wondering whether you were tossed out of a UFO and back into your bed like some sort of rag doll. Well that's every time I went to sleep. At least it used to be until I did some research and discovered studies from numerous Chiropractors and Chiropractic association's. One of which being the American Chiropractic Association who has released a guide on how to sleep properly, in terms of proper sleeping posture. 

Who knew there was a way to sleep on your back "Properly"? Well according to the ACA, you must roll up a sheet or a towel. Tie the towel around your waist in order to provide some support for your lumbar spine. The lumbar spine support allows the spine to remain in a natural position and remain properly aligned. This method provides better napping for your back posture and spinal quality.

The ACA also recommends you use a comfortable and supportive mattress. This means not any mattress will do, and might be a good time to throw away that barely bearable mattress your dad gave you when you moved out. The ACA also recommends you place a small pillow to bolster or elevate your knees while you bend them slightly. This is to allow for better blood flow and comfort in the bottom part of your body as well as spinal alignment. Another recommendation for posturing your neck would be to put some sort of roll under it to allow improved posture. Just as your neck posture can change while typing with a keyboard at a desk, so can it while you sleep.

The ACA also has recommendations for people who may sleep on their sides. One of these is to properly use pillows that are the right size. Large pillows are mainly there for decoration and can really mess with your neck posture. Instead, use a pillow where your face can comfortably face either side straight. Keeping a pillow between your knees can keep the pelvis straight and prevent it from altering posture during your sleep. And a key recommendation is to keep your knees away from your chest comfortably but also avoid sleeping in a fetal position as this is similar to sleeping in a box and will cramp your body and is generally a very uncomfortable posture for anyone who has not compressed their entire body...yet.

A very important thing to remember when sleeping on your side is to change which side you sleep one. One thing that can happen by sleeping on one side for prolonged periods of time is that your spine, chest and organs can shift to one side which is something you want to avoid. To avoid this, the easiest thing to do is sleep on both sides of the bed rather than just the one.

I hope this blog has made you all masters at napping safely and stopped you from waking up in some sort painful position.

- Image sources are
http://askdrernst.com/wp-content/uploads/Sleep-798x530.jpg
http://www.exhab.com/sleep-posture/
- Information Source
http://www.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=1452
http://oldsite.acatoday.org/content_css.cfm?CID=3124

Writer -
Aleksandar Bjelosevic
alexbjelosevic@gmail.com

Wake Up!

Welcome to MacqNap

Your personal assistant and guide when it comes to finding the most comfiest, cosiest and relaxing benches, beanbags, couches and hidey-holes on the Macquarie University campus. This blog will be frequently updated with secret sleep-spaces, as well as some top nap tips and other hidden gems found on campus that can improve your uni experience.

Meet the Team!

Julia Gapon
As a first year student, many would think Julia's knowledge of the best and most secret places on campus to nap would be limited. However, you'd be surprised to know that her engagement with uni societies has helped her discover nap-spots that the common student would never have found. 

Lousie Le
I have never been a night owl and thats not such a bad thing, but on those nights I'm up a little later than usual I am really struggling! So I definitely have some tips and tricks up my sleeve about finding the right paces to repay your sleep debt!

Lousie's love for travel and food have not only sculpted her into a person of culture but has also assisted in her finding of ultimate nap-spots world-wide. We're graced to have her on our small team!

James Eungil Cho
We all know a champion sleeper, that one guy that can sleep for 14 hours straight and then wake up as if nothing had happened. James tops all champion sleepers – he once slept for an entire 24 hours – and has the best tips and information on how you can become one too.

Katie McArthur
Katie is a connoisseur in comfort. In her own home, she houses a record-topping 22 couches and mattresses as well as only using the best bedding and pillows. If it's not comfy, it's not worthing sleeping on. She's got the best advice on making sure you'll wake up refreshed and not aching in every muscle.

Aleksandar Bjelosevic
Aleksandar knows what it's like to never have time for a full night's rest. Juggling uni, babysitting and his job as a part-time model, it's hard to find time to get a good rest. His experiences in maximising sleep with a limited amount of time make him beneficial to the MacqNap team!

Author: Julia Gapon
Image: 
https://game-solver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Guess-Up-Emoji-Sleepy-Head.png