You know how they say 20 minutes is the perfect length for a nap (for an adult)? I have never believed that. It usually takes me that long just to fall asleep during the day. If I get less than about an hour of sleep once I do fall asleep I just wake up sluggish and irritated. That's one reason I usually don't even try to nap while the kids are napping.
Another reason is that I am so grateful for the midday peace and quiet it seems a shame to let that time pass without actively enjoying it. Sure, I sometimes I have a little editing to do and other times there are household chores I can't justify putting off any longer, but my favorite way to spend a naptime is on the front porch swing with a book and a glass of sweet tea. That is definitely a happy place for me, and usually every bit as rejuvenating as sleep.
That said, there are certain days you need sleep and nothing else will do. I have heard that some cities actually rent out spaces where you can nap for a block of time. Along the same lines, I've seriously considered writing a letter to our gym and proposing that they create a spot for this. There's everything else, why not a dedicated napping area?
When I had a terrible sinus infection last summer I dragged myself and the kids to the gym for three or four days when there was no way I could work out but I was desperate for a break. I sought out quiet corners where I stretched out with a magazine and read and dozed. I was a little worried someone would think I needed medical intervention or something, and I thought about sticking a note to my shirt: "I'm not dead, just napping."
If I suggested this to the gym, do you think anyone would take me seriously?
An idea would have to be much, much crazier to raise any eyebrows nowadays. Oddly, I have little need of naps since I retired. Even if I read until midnight. : )
ReplyDeleteI don't know if they would take you seriously, but I would use that spot frequently.
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