Do You Nap?
Do You Nap during the Day?
Many people enjoy a nap at some time during the day.I quite like a nap after lunch or after my evening meal, sometimes BOTH
times! Some animals nap throughout the day, that's called polyphasic, so I suppose some human are polyphasic too, though most
people are awake during the day and sleep at night, xcept perhaps for young children and the elderly. It is thought that
humans used to have a period of wakefulness during the night, so that they went for a "second sleep", after waking from their
first sleep. This is even mentioned in Shakespeare.
Of course, these days, people have such busy lives that they do not have enough time to sleep. The use of electric light to
extend the light plus the advent of all those technological devices with interesting news, social events and games, means
people do not sleep as much these days, so they sometimes take short naps. This is not so bad if you are inside and can take a
quick "power nap" of about 10 or 20 minutes. It is definitely NOT good if you are driving because your body will take micro
sleeps and you could crash. It is thought that a percentage of crashes are due to fatigue. If you are tired when driving, pull
over in a safe place or find a service area where you can sleep safely and get 20 or 30 minutes sleep to refresh yourself.
Did you know there are three kinds of nap?
1. Planned napping is where you take a nap, even when you are not tired, because you know you have to stay up later than
usual.
2. An emergency nap is when you are dog tired and you HAVE to sleep in order to avoid an accident, for instance when driving.
3. Habitual napping is when you take a nap at the same time every day. after lunch or dinner say, or where young children have
a morning and afternoon nap.
Power Nap
A power nap can be very useful, it restores your energy and you feel much more alert. But people who work shifts can feel
extremely sleep deprived and may need a lot of naps to help them cope.
Health and Insomnia
Sometimes, a lot of napping can be a sign of a health issue. If you think this applies to you, see your medical adviser. And
of course, too many naps can lead to problems sleeping at night, which leads to more daytime naps - a vicious cycle. If this
is you, try to cut out the daytime naps - keep busy, so you can get a good, uninterrupted night's sleep.
Image Credit » https://pixabay.com/en/grass-summer-nap-outdoor-field-829909/ by anisenior
Comments
markgraham wrote on October 25, 2015, 3:31 PM
I do take naps but usually only when I do not feel good or have overdid some various other chores like mowing the grass.
carolyn wrote on October 25, 2015, 3:40 PM
I sometimes have a nap during the day if I got up early that morning.
Feisty56 wrote on October 25, 2015, 4:36 PM
My sleeping patterns vary. Right now I am getting to sleep around 3AM and getting up at 10AM. By early evening, I feel an almost overwhelming sleepiness for an hour or so, but I keep moving as to avoid a nap and go to sleep even later at night.
MegL wrote on October 25, 2015, 4:40 PM
Well at least you are getting 7 hours. I hope they are unbroken?
1Feisty56 wrote on October 25, 2015, 4:44 PM
For the most part, yes. Once I fall asleep it would take a house falling on me to wake me up. : )
wolfgirl569 wrote on October 25, 2015, 5:32 PM
I rarely take naps but do feel that the human body is meant to sleep in shorter stretches than we do but much more often
VinceSummers wrote on October 25, 2015, 8:00 PM
I don't actually believe there is such a thing as a "power" nap.
crowntower wrote on October 25, 2015, 9:29 PM
I don't have that kind of luxurious time. And I hate sleeping at day because I tend to sleep longer than a nap and when I wake up it is already evening and nothing much has left but a wasteful day. But right now I happy that I am able to write and work in day time. Hehehe. Thank you for sharing. I hope I can have that power nap.
FourWalls wrote on October 25, 2015, 11:52 PM
Of course I take a nap in afternoon. I'm middle aged, I'm entitled!
Paulie wrote on October 26, 2015, 1:45 AM
Throughout my life, I have seldom napped during the day. I prefer to go to bed at an earlier hour, get 8-9 hours of sleep, and then get up early in the morning.
MegL wrote on October 26, 2015, 3:35 AM
I have done it in work. When I was really tired, I would go into the ladies' loo, put the toilet seat down, sit down and rest my elbows on my knees and consciously relax. I would actually sleep and wake in about 20 minutes, much more alert.
Colibry21 wrote on October 26, 2015, 3:17 PM
I will sometimes take naps, after dropping my girls off at preschool and while my little guy is sleeping. Although for the most part I'm not really sleeping. I just take a few minutes to lay in bed and rest.
cheri wrote on October 30, 2015, 4:42 AM
I wish I can take a nap but its really difficult for me to have one no matter how late I slept the previous night