Embracing the Nap

I love sleep.  I need more sleep than the average bear to function properly.  When I don't get enough sleep, I am miserable.  Coffee is not an option to get through the day after a rough night.  Have I previously mentioned that I become manic when I drink caffeine?

Last night, Jack was called into the hospital around 4:30 a.m.  I don't know the exact time, I was trying to sleep.  He normally gets a warning that a patient is coming in, but in this case, he had to jump up and get there ASAP.  He couldn't find his wallet, so he was stomping around looking for it.  After a bit, I nodded off.  About an hour after Jack left, the nurse (or fellow or resident) who called him earlier pocket dialed the house on her phone.  Five times.  I fell back asleep, only to have Jack's alarm clock start chirping, followed by Fox jumping on the bed to get my attention.

It was not a restful nights sleep.

Hopping back into bed after the Boy left for school was not an option.  I was meeting a friend first thing after the Boy left for school, and then I ran errands.  Around 1:15 p.m., I was hitting the "Lack of  Effectiveness" wall:  I wasn't so tired that I couldn't get things done, but I was afraid of doing things half-baked or sending someone the wrong email because I wasn't sharp enough.  Or worse:  I dig into two hours of Facebook or other internet trolling to keep myself awake.*

At 1:15 p.m. came the question: to nap or not to nap.  The Spanish do it.  Granted, they eat dinner at ten o'clock at night.  Of course they need a nap the following mid-afternoon.  I read an article in the New Yorker once (or some other magazine) about the history of sleep.  Back in the days pioneer days, people would not think it odd to wake up in the middle of the night and take care of things.  Napping was not uncommon then.

So why shouldn't I nap?  I love naps.  Why should I feel so guilty when I take one?  While I love extra sleep, naps remind me that

a)  I don't have full-time, paid job.  People with paid jobs don't have the official luxury of napping; although, more than one person I've worked with has dozed off during a postprandial meeting.  The number is higher for meeting with PowerPoint slides in a dark room.  I have some friends who power nap, even at work.  They will shut their office door, turn the ringer on the phone off, and sleep for fifteen minutes at work for a quick boost.

b)  I associate napping with depression.  Whether I should or not is up to debate.  I really shouldn't.  When I am really tired, I feel depressed anyway, so why not cure a temporary bout of the blues with some well deserved rest?

c)  I fear I will not be able to sleep at a normal hour at night.  I don't need to my body to think I am living in the same time zone as Hawaii while I am living in Seattle.

So I split the difference.  I took a nap, but set my alarm clock.  I always keep a journal and pen by my nightstand.  Just before I drifted off, I started thinking about a presentation I need to give in a few weeks.  It will need to be vetted by a few people, so the earlier I start, the better.   I had a few good ideas, so for about five minutes, I jotted down a reasonable outline and a few questions to ask the group.  I dropped my pen, and snuggled in for a snooze.

I need to get over the guilt of naps.  My email box filled like the tide while I rested, but I was in a much better position to work when I got up.  I was also nicer to my kids when they came home from school.

* Thanks again for reading my blog.  I hope you find this productive and not a complete waste of your brain cells or a cause of distraction.