I Love Naps
Posted by Gail | Filed under Thinking Out Loud
I’m a napper. When we used to travel hither and yon to shoot Til Debt, I’d arrive at the location after a 2-3 hour drive and take a nap. After lunch, while the crew set up for the next shoot, I’d nap in my car. Tash, my good friend and make-up chick, would let me sleep until about 10 minutes before I needed to do touch-ups and then she’d tap on my window gently. When we’d shoot in studio, if I needed some shut-eye, I’d just lie on the floor and grab some zzzzzs. Twenty minutes would give me enough reboot to go for hours.
Napping is frowned upon in our workaholic culture. I know I’m dating myself, but remember what a slug we thought Dagwood was passed out on the couch after consuming a giant, delicious sandwich. Naps have been declare the territory of the lazy and unambitious. Falling asleep at your desk and you’ll be frowned upon or scoffed at.
Did you know that the animal kingdom consists of polyphasic sleepers? Yup, they alternate their sleep and wake cycles through a 24-hour period. In the good old days in Rome, people hit the hay at at sexta (the sixth hour or their noon), which is where “siesta” comes from. But even countries that once integrated napping into their normal cycles have fallen pray to the go-go-go western business standards.
Napping can actually help with learning and working memory. It prevents information overload and heightens creativity. It bathes your brain in serotonin creating a more positive outlook. And it improves health by reducing the hormone cortisol in our bodies. Once study showed that those who take a half-hour nap three times a week or more, reduce their heart-related risk of dying by 37%.
Instead of heading to the coffee house to get a jolt to keep you going through the afternoon, lie down on the floor and grab 20 minutes of shut-eye. Never mind the embarrassment. That’s your grown-up brain clacking at you. Harken back to kindergarten when a glass of milk, a couple of cookies and the nap mat were the norm. Embrace your inner child and restore your energy.
Don’t forget to nap on weekends too. The nap is the key to my four-day weekend. You’d like one of those, right? I get up early on a Saturday, do some writing, have some breakie, feed a kid, throw in some laundry, do some gardening (or water my house plants), do my running-around errands and at about 2 I have a nap. When I wake up, it’s my Second Saturday. Ditto Sunday. Voila! A four-day weekend.
October 24, 2012 at 5:12 am
Yes, I think so. I link nap very much because when I wake up I feel very fresh. And also have a lots powerful to do work.
October 24, 2012 at 6:45 am
Bring back the naps!
October 24, 2012 at 8:32 am
My father was a farmer – up early in the morning. After lunch, he’d always lie down for about 20 – 30 min. and then he was back out doing the farm work. It was a given that he would do that. I find around 2 in the afternoon I start feeling tired, so I have napped too (work at home so it’s easy to do). I feel much more refreshed after a 20 minute cat nap. Now though, in Junior and Senior Kindergarten, kids don’t get the chance to lie down. I remember those times though, a snack and then quiet time. Lights turned off, quiet time, and if you fell asleep that was okay – and if not, that was okay too – you just had to relax. Too bad that’s gone by the wayside too.
October 24, 2012 at 8:32 am
I totally agree with you here. If you’re well rested and recharged from a nap you can be twice as a productive as you would be just starting at a screen and trying to push through. In the knowledge industry I think this is doubly as important because some of that work takes high levels of concentration to solve complex problems.
If I’m trying to do some writing in the evening for my website, then napping first for 20-30 minutes will probably end up in a successful writing session. If I’m tired, I’ll probably get almost nothing done over a span of several hours.
October 24, 2012 at 8:46 am
By your title,I thought you were blogging about hair.
October 24, 2012 at 8:50 am
You know Gail you have really hit the bulls-eye with this blog. Napping is Great, I agree 100%, so how is it that our culture is so geared towards NOT napping? I mean it makes clear scientific sense to have a nap yet we tell ourselves NO I can’t do that, I have too many things to do today or NO what if someone calls on the phone or stops by the house? What would they think that I am a sluggard? I am feeling as though I am in a perpetual state of tiredness working five days a week, getting up at 6 am, walking the dog, taking the kids to activities…what for? A question keeps popping up in my mind more and more frequently; why don’t we just move to a South American country to teach english overseas and live a modest lifestyle fulfilled with days of helping children learn? In my mind it rings better and better all the time….and who knows there could be a hammock in the yard or on the porch where a regular siesta awaits!
October 24, 2012 at 8:55 am
Oh I am truly a napper. I am a farmer and getting up early makes for a long day, but even if I was not a framer I am sure I would still nap as I feel so “smart” and full of great ideas after my brain takes a break. The animal kingdom is where we should be getting more of our lessons from.
I like that we may live longer. Nap on Gail.B
October 24, 2012 at 9:01 am
I remember a time when nothing was open on Sundays. Now it seems the world is busy 24/7/365 and now more then ever we need to be napping.
We need downtown for our brains to create memories, and now that people are constantly bombarded with TV, apps, games and music on their personal devices, we are going to have a hard time remembering the good times in our lives.
October 24, 2012 at 9:45 am
I remember my Dad coming in from work for his lunch, then, leaning back in his chair saying “I’ll just take ten minutes”. Within seconds he was snoring in his chair. Ten minutes later he was up and out the door good to go.
October 24, 2012 at 9:52 am
I love naps. I live on a hobby farm so it’s up and at it early for the animals. Then putts around the house. Then an hour nap before I leave for my 2-10 job in the city. I wouldn’t make it through without it.
October 24, 2012 at 11:09 am
I’m a napper. In fact, I have turned into my grandfather. Give me 10-20 minutes only anywhere and I am good to go. I have even done it at work (I work at a church, a little more lenient). At one point I had to tell someone to answer the phones for 10 minutes otherwise I was going to fall asleep at my desk.
October 24, 2012 at 11:36 am
My dad would also fall asleep in the chair after meals, also a farmer. Then he would head back outside to work! I work a full time job with 10 hour shifts, and also a part time job that sometimes is right after that 10 hour shift (3 days a week) I get a break every hour of my 10 hour shift, which is about 18 minutes or so by the time we get off and back on the gaming floor. I bought a kitchen timer, and go to the ladies change room and head to the farthest row of lockers, scrunch up my travel pillow and lay on the (very narrow) bench! I wish I could turn the lights out, but I still have a good rest regardless. I wouldn’t make it through my 16 hour days without that lay down time! I also try to nap at home, which usually involves just falling asleep whenever I stop long enough to sit down. Watch your house pets, napping is good for you!!
October 24, 2012 at 1:03 pm
A great time for us is the Saturday or Sunday nao. We nap, the whole family, at least once in the weekend. It’s hard to convince a 6-year old and a 4-year old to nap when there is so much to do in life, but when they manage to be calm for 5 to 10 minutes, sleep takes over and we’ve got them!
On week days, it’s tougher to get a few minutes, but when we can manage it, what a reward!
I wonder if I can manage to get a few minutes today before my 2:30 pm appointement?…
October 24, 2012 at 1:22 pm
If I was caught napping at my office, I’d be fired.
October 24, 2012 at 1:42 pm
I have never been a napper. As a child I remember hiding all the books under my covers. If I am tired on the weekend after lunch, I will try to nap, but it never happens for me, and I just end up frustrated.
I do fall asleep easily at night, but never during the day.
October 24, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Naps are wonderful; as someone above posted, take a look at your pets and emulate them. An interesting read is “The Sleep Thieves,” by Stanley Coren.
October 24, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I’m pretty hardwired not to nap. If I nap I am groggy and cranky, and sometimes I just feel queasy or disoriented afterward… Just me? If I’m exhausted during the day I take that as my veg time (I watch a tv episode or listen to music and sip some tea) but I avoid napping unless My body just shuts down because I never perk up again and then have a rough night sleep later. I wonder why that is…? Research time!!
October 24, 2012 at 3:55 pm
I cannot nap – feel groggy and headachy if I do. My husband has napping down to a science – can fall asleep within 5 minutes and wake up 15 minutes later totally refreshed and ready to take on the rest of the day. I’m jealous…..
October 24, 2012 at 5:14 pm
I’m a Realtor and work all kinds of hours and 7 days most weeks. When I actually have a day off , there is nothing I like better than to spend my day eating, chatting with my kids and napping. Some days off I spend more time asleep than awake and thats fine with me . It works for my cat, so It must be ok
October 24, 2012 at 5:36 pm
Such a great point Gail! Other cultures have adapted the importance of a nap and we have not! I love napping but can’t do it at work (hard to lay down on a floor in front of students and fall asleep LOL!). But I do LOVE to nap!
@Brenda – not sure where you are located but my childrens’ school still has quiet time or nap time for JK and SK!
There’s a lot we can learn from other cultures! The importance of relaxing, not rushing and eating good food properly instead of crap on the run!
October 24, 2012 at 7:11 pm
For whatever reason, as I aged my body got amazing at the ‘power nap’ – I can now lie on the couch, be asleep within minutes, wake up within minutes, and have a completely fresh and energized rest-of-the-day in 15 minutes start to finish. I do this at work occasionally too, though it’s hard to find a comfy place and I wouldn’t ever admit it to anyone. Funny, that – people take 15 minute smoke breaks but sleeping isn’t acceptable… maybe I’ll start admitting it so it becomes more acceptable…
October 25, 2012 at 2:19 am
I never napped until I had knee surgery and for a while my body would just be out of energy all of a sudden and there was nothing to do but go to bed. It took a while to be normal again, and now I find if I am tired and realize there is nothing I want to do more than lie down I go do it. My cats think this is wonderful, they appreciate the company. And when I get up I have a much better day than if I had just dragged through it.
October 25, 2012 at 2:01 pm
Robyn,
Usually I do my napping on my lunch hour, but the one day, I just couldn’t stand it anymore – my fingers wouldn’t type – 10 minutes and boom I was good to go – of course I also went into a downstairs room where no one could actually see me.
October 25, 2012 at 11:07 pm
I soooooo wanted a nap the other day at work
…..gotta listen to the rhythm of the seasons and it’s effect on my body too. Great advice Gail.
October 28, 2012 at 9:03 pm
Gail, as always, you are right on the money! (no pun intended but I’ll take credit for it if you happen to find it funny)
My older hard-working parents were never ashamed to take a nap any time of the day or evening. Nor did I think less of them because they did so. They were two of the wisest people I know.
I wish I had half of the common sense so prevalent in their generation (born before the depression). For most of my married life I have not taken near as many naps as I should have. Even today, I fully intended to take a nap in the afternoon but allowed myself to get sidetracked with other to-do’s.
That’s it! Next weekend! I’m getting my nap!
November 19, 2012 at 3:22 pm
I totally disagree with napping while on the job. A guy that I work with just fell asleep in the lunch room (at lunch) and everyone agreed that it was very unprofessional. The VP was in town and came into the lunch room while he was napping and our manager woke him up. I think it would of been worse walking by seeing him lying on the floor in his cubicle. Our working society does not view that as professional. He should of went down to a car to sleep if he really needed some shut eye…
Sorry Gail this is ONE thing that I dont agree with you.