Everyone ought to know the importance of a good night’s sleep, but a full eight hours of slumber often eludes college students. Whether it’s because of a late-night study session or because we dove a few episodes too deep into the latest Netflix series, we often find ourselves looking to catch a few Zs between classes.
Luckily, there are places scattered across the BYU campus that afford students the chance to nap between classes. Students generally value napping locations that are quiet, comfortable and private. We’ve done the dirty work so you don’t have to; here, in no particular order, are some of the best places on the BYU campus for napping.
Maeser Building
Location: Honors Reading Room in the MSRB basement
The Maeser Building is a quiet, outlying location situated in the southwest corner of campus that doesn’t often attract crowds. As such, it can be a perfect spot to catch a quick nap. The building may be dedicated to Honors Program classes and students, but anyone is free to explore it in search of a place to nap. You’ll find comfortable chairs throughout the building, some more private than others. The Honors Reading Room, located in the basement, offers a small, secluded study spot where people may occasionally be found napping.
Kimball Quad
Location: Inside the cluster of trees just east of the Tree of Wisdom
If you like the idea of napping outside but also value privacy, this hidden gem might be just what you’re looking for. Situated inside a cluster of pine trees by the Benson Building and the Joseph Smith Building is an opening almost entirely hidden from the outside. The area is completely covered, so it is hidden from onlookers and offers plenty of shade. The drawback here is that a bed of pine needles covers the ground, so something like a blanket or a jacket to lie on is a must.
Benson Building
Location: Under the display cases off of the main east-west hallway
This location may not be ideal, but it ought to do the trick in a pinch. It may not be the most comfortable or private place to catch some Zs, but if you slouch against the wall underneath the display cases, passersby will struggle to distinguish your napping from studying. You’ll also likely not find yourself alone, as the area is often filled with students studying or napping between classes.
Joseph F. Smith Building
Location: Lounges located on all upper floors of the building
Despite its relatively central campus location, the JFSB offers many quiet places for tired students to find some much-needed rest. The building’s Education in Zion Gallery, located on the second floor, offers an especially quiet area with comfortable seating, but small, guided groups occasionally pas through. The second, third and fourth floors each have lounges on all four sides. Though the basement is full of classrooms and lecture halls, you won’t find crowds of students traveling between classes on these upper levels as they are mostly populated by offices. The largest of these lounges can be found on the fourth floor’s east hallway. Quiet, comfortable and fairly private, these JFSB lounges are great for napping.
Talmage Building
Location: Southeast stairwell on the ground floor
Often filled with overworked math and computer science students, the Talmage Building might not be the first place one would think to find a quiet place to nap. The benches and chairs that line the halls are usually full of students studying and working on projects, leaving little room for quiet or privacy. But nestled in the building’s southeast stairwell is a couch. Though it appears a bit out of place, it might offer some solitude for students seeking an out-of-the-way place to nap.
Harold B. Lee Library
Location: The Reading Room on the second floor of the HBLL
The often-croweded library offers several havens for students in need of rest. Cubicles on its upper floors offer some privacy, albeit some less-than-comfortable seating. Situated a floor below the ground level of the HBLL is the Reading Room, a large, open area filled with dozens of study tables and couches. If you’re not too averse to napping in the open, there’s a large couch in the middle where students may be found reading or napping. If you prefer something a little more private, the Reading Room provides that as well. Situated off to the side behind the bookshelves you’ll find several nooks, each with a few comfortable chairs and ottomans where you can catch a quality nap.
J. Reuben Clark Building
Location: Hunter Law Library
Most BYU students never have a reason to find themselves in the JRCB — even the initialized nickname may sound foreign to the average student. Dedicated to BYU Law, the building sits a little out of the way on the easternmost edge of campus but is perhaps not too far out of the way for a student seeking a peaceful place for some quality shut-eye. The Hunter Law Library housed here is far quieter than the main library on campus, and comfortable seating can be found throughout the rest of the building as well.
Wilkinson Student Center
Location: First-level lounges
The WSC is one of the most crowded buildings on campus, yet some of its more secluded corners may provide some peace and quiet. While the main and upper levels are crowded with the BYU Store, Cougareat and an assortment of busy rooms, the first floor is typically quieter and offers a more out-of-the-way destination for those seeking to nap. Three first-floor lounges supply the best napping spaces. The first gives plenty of couches and is located by the Multicultural Student Services office found at 1320 WSC. The Traditions Lounge, located between The Wall and the Bowling & Games Center, lends rows of couches and recliners in a somewhat more populated area. The Den can be found at the bottom of the WSC’s southern staircase and offers another option with comfortable seating, if more foot traffic.
Empty classrooms
When all else fails, an unclaimed empty classroom may offer an adequate place to nap. Finding such a classroom can be pretty hit-and-miss, but you may have more success at some times than others. Thursday at 11 a.m. is likely your best bet, as Thursday classes are typically paired with Tuesday classes, of which there are none at 11 because of weekly Tuesday devotionals. Empty classrooms are also easier to find on Fridays because some classes, particularly religion classes, are only taught on Monday and Wednesday, leaving their classrooms empty on Friday. Whatever the case, it may be worth finding empty classrooms that align with your schedule so that you have a place to turn to when in need. The downside is that even if you find a classroom that is consistently available, people may on occasion need it for academic purposes, so finding an empty classroom is never a sure thing.
