The Importance of Naps
Hello everyone! I didn’t plan ahead very well today. You see, I had to wake up early to go to the BMV to get my temporary license (yes, it’s happening, I might actually get my license this year), but I went to bed late last night. Instead of putting off the BMV (again), I actually got up and went down there!
Unfortunately, that meant when I got home, I needed more sleep. So I took a nap!
I used to hate naps, as most children do. Why waste time sleeping when I could spend time doing kid stuff?? Now that I’m older, I appreciate the value of a good nap. I used to take one every day after work, but I don’t take normal 30 minute naps, so once I realized I would sleep until past dinner time, I stopped taking daily naps.
When it comes to naps, you’ve got to plan accordingly, but be open to flexibility. I always set an alarm for 30 minutes and also one for an hour because I don’t like to sleep too long.
Of course, the body will take as much rest as it needs sometimes, and sometimes I sleep through my alarms. It’s usually fine!
Sometimes I’ll wake up from a nap more tired than I was before I took the nap. That just means I woke up during a deeper part of my REM cycle. If that happens to you, try going back to sleep for a while. You’ll either wake up alright or with a headache.
Sometimes a 15 minute nap is all I need. Sometimes I accidentally sleep for 5 hours. Naps are finicky like that.
Sometimes naps creep up on me and I fall asleep watching TV or doing something like playing Animal Crossing (it’s a very relaxing game!). I try to plan my naps but a spontaneous nap is always a pleasant surprise.
Unfortunately, this nap I took today means that I am VERY behind on my Monday activities; I haven’t watered the plants yet, I haven’t finished the laundry. I haven’t even taken a shower or had my coffee, the most crucial parts to my daily routine! While everything is doable still, I now have to worry about doing my thing around my lovely husband, who will be coming home from work soon. I love Matt, but I missed a lot of my Morning Mary Time today. I wonder how that will affect my week?
All in all, I needed the nap. I could barely stay awake while eating my post-BMV breakfast, so I knew I wouldn’t be able to get anything done without logging in more hours on the Sleep Clock. I might not get to finish everything I wanted to do today, but one thing I can say is that I’m in a much better mood than I would’ve been if I had stayed up!
If your body is telling you to sleep, try taking a nap. 15 minutes to an hour, hour and a half is all most people need to feel refreshed and ready for the rest of the day! I know it helped me a lot today. Try a nap next time you have the opportunity! It’ll make the day that much better.
I’ve got a short and sweet blog post today! I’m currently writing and editing this post while laying in bed post-nap, MJ snoozing in the space where my knees bend. The worst part about waking up from this nap is that I have to move her in order to get up!
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Thanks for reading, everyone! I’ll see you here next week!
