Napping may be the answer

Are you feeling tired and run-down in the middle of the afternoon? Is your energy level dropping like a rock into a lake? Coffee is NOT the answer, but taking a nap might just be the ticket. Cats take naps all the time. They seem to be perfectly healthy. Of course, I have never been able to actually communicate with any of my cats to see if they feel rested after a nap. :-)

You may be victimizing yourself by not getting enough sleep at night. Maybe you feel you just don't have the time to sleep 8-10 hours a night. You have just got so much to do. Or maybe you are like me, and are so excited about whatever you are doing that time just seems to fade out, and suddenly it is several hours later--perhaps 3 am in the morning. Ooops!! Can you say "time management problems?"

I have found that if you are going to take a nap, don't take a long one. If you do, you will go into deep sleep, and when you wake you will be especially groggy. Your body will crave even more sleep, especially if you are sleep deprived. Then you will wake up far more tired than when you drifted off to sleep.

I believe it was Albert Einstein (although it might have been somebody else) who used to take a kettle and turn it upside down. Then he would hold a spoon in his hand above the kettle. Just as soon as he fell asleep, his hand would relax, the spoon would fall, and there would be a loud clang as the spoon hit the kettle. That would awaken him. Obviously, this is a very short nap. But it is better to err on the side of short than long. And on the practical level, your boss may not begrudge you a short nap, but you might lose your job if you slept all day at your desk.

From personal experience, I think about half an hour is just about right. You don't go into a deep sleep in half an hour, but you can experience some much needed rest. And you won't wake up groggy, but refreshed. Can you say "catnap." My felines are feeling fine. :-)

So try napping when you are tired. It just might help.

David A. Youngs