A tip of the hat to the nap
I heard Al Fagerli joking on WCLO this morning that he slept through National Napping Day on Monday.
Many doctors extol the health benefits of the nap. I found a story at huffingtonpost.com that said we can thank Boston University professor William Anthony and his wife, Camille, for creating National Napping Day in 1999. The goal, says Anthony, “is to encourage folks to take a nap wherever they may be, at home, at the workplace or on vacation, and to make it a regular part of their healthy lifestyle. It is a day when nappers all over the country need to lie down and be counted.”
Apparently, this unofficial holiday was designed to come on the heels of the weekend when we turn our clocks forward an hour and wind up starting our work week a little sleepy.
The National Sleep Foundation suggests the average adult needs between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, but most of us don’t get that much.
My weekday alarm blares early—at 5 a.m.—so I try to hit the sack around 10 p.m. I seldom have time during my workdays for a nap. Today—with four more election candidates coming through on visits with our editorial board—is no exception.
Sometimes, when I do get a nap, I can wake up feeling groggy—worse than before I laid down. What about you? Do you find time for naps, and do you find them rejuvenating?
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Mar 15, 2013 at 2:43 p.m.
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Never learned the fine art of napping, it's all or nothing for me. I rarely feel the urge to doze during the day, but when I have, even a short nod-off leaves me feeling like I need hours more.
Mar 13, 2013 at 6:08 a.m.
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short naps, 10-20 minutes, are the key. If you nap longer than that, you need a couple hours sleep to revive the body's natural "shut down" during that period.
For me, the best nap is with my wife. wink wink. nod nod.
but 3-5 minutes in the tanning bed is almost as equally refreshing.
Mar 12, 2013 at 6:52 p.m.
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i notice a lot of napping at the gazette.
Mar 12, 2013 at 4:24 p.m.
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For years, my aunt up in Ontonagon MI took a nap everyday at the same time...religiously! Each year at the family reunion...she bugs out early afternoon to drive home and take her nap. The family reunion carries on without her, and she comes back a few hours later.
Mar 12, 2013 at 11:38 a.m.
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I would love to be able to take a nap every day but don't have time these days. A short nap (~30 min.) is the key to waking refreshed they say. When my kids were little we all took a nap in the afternoon every day. Once you get used to it, it's hard to go without one.
Mar 12, 2013 at 11:23 a.m.
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Greg, I usually take a nap when I ..zzzzzzzzzzzz
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