Take 5...or 20! 09.26.18

I feel as though each day of substitute teaching is like starting a new job. I meet a whole bunch of new people. I learn a lot of new rules and procedures. I eat lunch alone and my mind spins with reminders of “don’t forgets” and “remember to’s”. It’s mentally exhausting. And my head hums.

Oh, it’s not a “sugar thing”. Truly, my brain muscles, along with my back muscles, and my ankles, and even my vocal cords are tired. Each day when I return home, I change into my play clothes and head to the couch to take five…or twenty!

Naps are for babies and lazy people!

I used to relate nap time to babies’ habits. I would rationalize my own kids’ naptimes with “there’s a lot of stuff going on in those little noodles of theirs’ and they need downtime.” And I needed time to throw in a load of laundry or load the dishwasher!

I used to relate nap time to lazy grown-up routines. Caught up in the ambition of my young adult age, I became enraged when my husband would say, “Just relax. Take a nap. You’ll think of a solution in your sleep.” All I could think of in response to his consolation was complete indignation that I would be the type to laze away the day in a nap! “WHAT?! Half the day is nearly gone, and I have so much to do! I am NOT laying down for even ONE minute, let alone on a bed that has sheets that need washed.”

Why take a nap?

Now, it’s all about a need for re-energizing and restoration! See, there are reasons behind my need to snooze. I, plain and simple, need to shut my mind OFF. I need to relax my muscles. I need quiet. I need this, so I can get back up and face some more demands on my mind and my body.

There is some science behind my need, too. Says the National Sleep Foundation, taking a nap can provide some terrific benefits: Improved mood and alertness. I could use some of that sometimes! And taking a nap during the day can improve your performance through the rest of the day as well!

Not all naps are alike!

There are different types of naps, I’ve now learned!

A planned nap is one you use in preparation for an altered sleep schedule. You know, like when you’re going to be out much later than usual and you’re using this nap to prepare you for the party!

Emergency naps are those that require your sleep to counteract your drowsiness, such as when you’re driving and can’t continue until you after you snooze.

And finally, the habitual nap is the nap that you take about the same time each day.

How long to nap?

I nap for about 20 minutes. And it just naturally happens that way—I wake up and realize, “yep, I’ve been sleeping for 20 minutes!”

Of course, the most optimum amount of time to nap may differ for you—and may even depend upon how you sleep at night. I sleep from 9:30 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. If I my sleep is altered in any way, I may need a nap during the day just because I’m sleep deprived.

And if you have difficulty sleeping or getting to sleep at night, you may want to reconsider the afternoon nap…it might add to your sleep challenges.

Lifehacker provides a great gauge on how long you should sleep to gain the most benefits. You can find this illustration in this link to the original article.

In general, I love the feeling of waking up from a nap: Re-energized! Refreshed! I now realize that a nap is a necessity to me, not a luxury. The benefits I gain from it are life-giving, not just a reprieve. It is so valuable to me, that its name deserves more than just 3 measly letters, n-a-p! It should be called something much grander: Snooze-o-rama!

Excuse me while I take five…or twenty!