Sleeping Beauty takes a nap!

When we’re infants and toddlers, we tend to hate naps. We fight sleep and rest time. Naps get in the way of the things we love doing most — playing.

As we age, we tend to change our mind. In my mid-fifties now, I’ve especially come to see the error of my ways. I love naps. What adult doesn’t love them? Yes, this is an ode to the often poked fun of, but always-appreciated nap. 

I especially love the many different kinds of naps that we all have in our lives:

—The 20-minute Post Lunch Nap in between class or a second job can help you battle heavy eyelids, especially when you’ve been burning the candle at both ends. Siesta time anyone?

—The short 5-10 minute Power Nap we take when the baby or young kids are finally down for their own nap. While researchers tend to recommend longer naps, they say that power naps lasting only 10 minutes or less still achieve Stage II Sleep and may boost short- and long-term memory and restore wakefulness for hours afterward. What these kinds of naps lack in length, they make up by coming at the perfect time.

Image by Andrea Piacquadio by Pexels.

—The Recovery Nap coming after a long night of celebrating and partying, driving a long distance, or completing a large assignment can make a major difference. While recovery naps can’t undo all the problems caused by sleep deprivation, they can help lessen its impact.

 —A Proactive Nap can help put your heart health first. A study found that people who napped for 45 to 60 minutes had lower blood pressure after going through mental stress. So a nap can help your body recover from pressure-filled situations.

Image by Jeremy Bishop on Pexels.

Health officials have long promoted the power of the nap. They mention that a short nap in the mid-afternoon can boost memory, improve job performance, lift your mood, make you more alert and more consistent, and ease stress. 

They suggest sleeping for 20-30 minutes in the early afternoon; setting an alarm so that you don’t sleep too long; creating a sleep-friendly environment; and drinking caffeine right before a nap. The brain and body feel the impact of caffeine about 30 minutes after it is consumed, so having caffeine right before a short nap may increase alertness after waking up.

Whatever the reason, I’m all for the nap. Who’s with me?

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52 thoughts on “Sleeping Beauty takes a nap!”

  2. Naps are the best and I so miss them as an adult. It is hilarious to watch kids have tantrums over naps. Little do they know how they will miss them when they are older!

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  3. Being retired and not on a schedule of any kind, I. consciously take a rest period every afternoon that starts between 1:30 PM and 2 PM. Sometimes I doze off, sometimes I just rest and occasionally I fall in to a deep sleep that I wish I could get at night. I’ve been controlled my body for all of my adult life according to what I needed done, allowing it to have the prominent voice is wonderful.

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  5. For those with long-term fibromyalgia, it gets complicated. I can only go 3-4 hours until pain and exhaustion flares up. The only thing that will calm them is a 25-minute nap. That means 2-3 per day! Plus a full night’s sleep (with cpap). But if I can do some writing in those in-between-naps, I’m elated! #aginggratefully

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  6. I am all for a nap if needed, although I rarely nap anymore! When I was taking care of the grands when they were babies I would nap in the afternoon with them. I sleep well at night I suppose so don’t feel tired during the day, but I also exercise and try to eat foods that keep my body balanced and regulated so maybe that’s the answer.

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  7. I’m in! I’m in — and I love that you’ve provided a ‘nap menu’. That’s all the encouragement I need. No two naps are the same…cheers to you for a fab post, Brian. I think the cooler (ah…I’ll just say it – COLD) weather is so super-duper nap conducive. 🥰🥰🥰

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  8. I’m jealous! I’ve never been able to nap. If I fall asleep, I fall hard and wake up groggy. It doesn’t do for me what it does for everyone else. So when I feel that slump in the afternoon, I exercise to get the blood flowing again. But I do sleep 7-9 hours at night. I love sleep- I just do better with it in one long chunk.

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    1. Oh, you’re the overachiever, making lazy slobs like me look bad. Ha ha, I’m just kidding. That’s actually a gift. Better to exercise through it. And you’re right about sleeping in large chunks. I suspect that’s healthier too! Oops, pardon me, I’m falling asleep here! 🤣🤣🤣💤💤💤💤

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  9. Nap? What’s a nap? No seriously, I do try but, and only if I’m supremely lucky, I might get to that liminal space between waking and sleeping (I do love that). Maybe one day, I’ll get the knack!

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  12. My afternoon siestas are always rather longer than anticipated- I wake up completely confused and disconnected from reality 😂. Initially when I was going to college I tried to experiment with shorter naps, and have now come to like the power naps- as they are time bound and also transport you to another realm for a few minutes to energise. However, given a chance I always love the 1 hour naps as they make me feel completely rested and energetic.

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    1. Working EST when your PST is no joke. We folks on the east coast always forget about that when we’re scheduling meetings. I noticed that when I was trying to schedule meetings years ago with folks across the US and then in Australia. I’m sure your husband gets the short end of the stick often. And obviously there’s nothing you can do about the market opening and closing. Damn New York. ha, ha.

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      4. Same field …. Finance. They cared, but didn’t care all at the same time. Overall my firm was generally okay for work life balance, but they still had their issues and definitely preferred younger workers once you reached a certain age. It wasn’t overt but still a nice push out the door. I’ll write about one day.

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  14. Lord, I had no idea there were so many categories of a nap Brian! 😴 Nothing like a good old siesta eh my friend? I love naps too, but when I try to take one, I only count sheep! 🐑🐑🐑 LOL 🤣 Thanks for reminding us of the importance of a plain ole nap! 💤💤💤

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  16. Yes, yes, and yes to naps of all kinds! Napping is one of my delights of retirement. Here in my Portugal village, most stores and businesses close for two hours, between 1 and 3 in the afternoon, for lunch and naps.
    Thank you for the pre-nap caffeine tip. I’d not heard that before, but will give it a try.

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  17. I’m with you, Brian! I take a nap every day – it helps me reset between work and then switching to having my kids home. I love that you provide some of the benefits and categories of naps – who knew? Yep, 15 minutes feels so good!

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  18. Pingback: bring back the siesta! | Pinwheel in a Hurricane

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