Francis Berger
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In Praise of Afternoon Naps

1/2/2022

4 Comments

 
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I have been off work since December 23 and during this time, I have taken obscene advantage of the plentiful opportunities to partake in afternoon naps. Inspired by my cat, I have taken a nap every afternoon over the past nine days. Needless to say, the experience has been wonderful.

I normally limit these sorts of indulgent slumbers for weekends and use them primarily as a means to catch up on the sleep I "miss" during the week (I tend to sleep about five or six hours a night and am out of bed somewhere between 3:30 and 5:00 a.m. every day), but over the past ten days I have shamelessly allowed my weekend "privilege" to become a part of my day-to-day life. 

Though I have tinged my description of afternoon napping with guilt-tainted words, I must admit that I have never felt guilty about sleeping an hour or two in the middle of the day. In fact, if I had my way, I would make it a regular feature of my daily life for the simple reason that it makes the day far more enjoyable and far more productive.

A nap in the afternoon essentially divides the day into two halves, providing me with the possibility to really focus on the things I would like to do or need to do in each half of the day. Yes, catching a few winks in the middle of the day does contain undeniable hedonistic elements (ask my cat), but  it also offers immense benefits - such as the potential for an increased level of concentration in the late afternoon and evening hours.

Either way, it all ends when I return to work tomorrow. Instead of waking up at two o'clock fresh and ready to tackle whatever the world has in store for me, I will instead spend the early afternoon struggling to keep my head from peacefully nestling down on the keyboard. 

Maybe I should start thinking about changes that could make afternoon naps a steady reality in my life. Now there's a life goal if there ever was one!  
4 Comments
Ingemar
1/3/2022 05:30:15

I think this proves you are a Catholic.

The Protestant Work Ethic and the death of the siesta go hand in hand.

Reply
Francis Berger
1/3/2022 12:43:26

@ Ingemar - Ha! That's very good!

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bruce charlton
1/3/2022 06:43:34

Afternoon (+/- morning and evening!) naps are a necessity in my life- if I am to rise early (when my mind and creativity work best) yet retire with my wife and kids.

I cannot function on five hours sleep, so I must take at least another couple of hours - a siesta rather than just a nap - at some point during each day.

I had a month in Greece with a Greek family when in my late teens, and got used to the siesta system then - but the Greeks used the afternoon hours to stay up late - until after midnight - rather than to rise early.

Incidentally, evidence from brain-wave (EEG) recordings suggests that the human brain is set-up in expectation of a siesta in the early afternoon - so it may be physiologically healthier in that sense, more 'natural' than taking all one's sleep in a single block.

Reply
Francis Berger
1/3/2022 12:47:27

@ Bruce - My experience matches the EEG evidence. My brain practically demands a siesta at around one o'clock most days. The only way I can keep myself from dozing off on weekday afternoons is by eating no lunch or very light lunches. If I eat a normal-sized lunch at midday on a weekday, I'm done for.

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