Afternoon Naps

It has a been a LONG time since I had an afternoon nap. But today I needed one. I usually get up in the morning at 4:45, and go-go-go at a pretty steady clip until about 8:00 at night. At that time I finally collapse on the couch and try to catch one of the TV shows that I've DVR'ed over the course of the week. I try to get in bed by 9:30 or so, usually tired but not exhausted. So last night when I couldn't hold my eyes open during one of my favorite shows (Terra Nova), I knew it was only a matter of time before an afternoon nap would be the business of the day. I was a little laggy all this morning, but by the time I finished making the kids their lunch at noon, I was draggin' a**. I fought it, though. Lord knows I did. I fought it until 1:30, bless my heart. I was determined not to give in to the sleepies. And then I remembered something that I read about afternoon naps a couple of weeks back on my Yahoo home page. It was an article about the many benefits of the afternoon nap. I found the article again, possibly in an attempt to justify the inevitable. One particular passage called out to me, just as my comfy sofa was calling out to me. Here it is: "Many people feel a mid-afternoon slump in mood and alertness, especially after a poor night of sleep. Many believe that this slump is caused by eating a heavy lunch. However, in reality, this occurs because we were meant to have a mid-afternoon nap. If you have an opportunity for an afternoon nap, particularly after a poor night of sleep, take one; you will feel more alert and energetic afterwards. Mood, energy, and subjective alertness improve beyond baseline; objective alertness and performance also improve. Naps should be limited to 45 minutes and avoided after 4:00 p.m.;otherwise, one may enter deep sleep, which may cause grogginess for a period of time after the nap and reduce the pressure for sleep that night." AHA!!!! I knew it! So at 1:30, I set my alarm clock for 2:30 (allowing myself 15 minutes to GET to sleep...yes, I know that's cheating and I don't care) and drifted off to dreamland. It was a deep, blissful sleep. And I felt wonderful afterward. It's not something I can afford the time to do every day, but once in awhile it's necessary for my sanity. So today, I am absolutely thankful for the Afternoon Nap.