Benefits of napping

They don’t call me the nap queen for nothing. I nap and I don’t let anybody disrupt my naps. Some folks still need to be told not to call me at certain times of the day and I have to gently remind them to not interrupt me. Some people don’t listen so I have had to put my phone on silent or vibrate. That’s not always a good thing because I have to keep my phone open in case my kid’s school calls me or the kids text me while in school (they text through their computer since the teacher takes their phone). I am very very set on my boundaries when it comes to my nap time. Do not disturb me at all. So why do I nap so much? I’ll tell you the reasons below along with some benefits of napping that help me make it through the day. Here is why I am the nap queen.

I am the nap queen

When I was a child my mom had no problems putting me down for a nap. I willingly went. She would always tell others that Kita would never not nap. She would say to her friends who had kids that if she told me to go nap I went and did just that. I slept a lot as a kid because well what else is there to do. We didn’t have phones to occupy us and my mom only had one tv in the house with 0 cable (I’m telling my age but my mom only got a few channels with her antenna). If hated doing chores so I always felt like if I go take a nap my mom would forget about them and that would be the end of that. I was wrong!

She always reminded me of them when I got up but still, I always felt more energized when I got up so I was in a better mood to do them. Funny how I knew at even a young age of 7 or 8 how better my mood was when I took a nap. These days I nap a lot because I don’t sleep well at night. I go to be around 2 am most nights working on my side hustle and then I have to be up at 6 am in the mornings to take the kids to school and by the time I come back, it’s time to go to my regular daytime job. I nap in between since my schedule for my job is not a straight schedule (I don’t work 9 to 5 I work 3 hrs then off 2 then work 1 then off 3 then work 4 like that I know weird but it’s a 24 hr job and they need people for different shifts). Those naps in between are how I catch up on my rest so while I don’t get a full 6 to 8 hours at night I do get a few more hours in the morning or midday.

Now people don’t always respect my naps. Even my friends who I tell all the time I nap between this time and that time. I got tired of repeating my nap schedule so I just turn my phone on do not disturb only allowing my kid’s phones and the school to get through. Sometimes I admit I do turn my phone on vibrate and in those cases, I will text my kids and tell them to call my house number as a backup (yep still got one of those). I do what I gotta do because those naps are important to me and my well being. If I don’t nap in the daytime I am mad…and I may or may not snap at you.

There are benefits to napping though and here are a few

• Releases Stress
• Boosts your mood (it sure does boost mine)
• lowers your blood pressure
• Increases your memory
• Helps your brain be sharper
• Helps you with your emotions
• Helps you do a better job at your job or small business

We are human and while naps may not be a thing for everyone for some of us it’s the best thing we can do for ourselves. If you hit a wall emotionally or mentally you can nap it off. The problem will still be there when you get up (trust me I know) but you will be able to think clearer and be sharper in solving that problem. Taking a nap also helps me avoid coffee or some type of caffeine. I find that if I take a nap and nap that tiredness or dragging feeling off I don’t need the caffeine.

Now you may ask what’s the best day naps, morning naps, or evening naps. Here is my rule…do as much as you can in the morning. .eat the frog as they say and do at least one hard thing that you don’t wanna do in the evening in the morning. I usually take a nap around 11ish. If for some reason I don’t nap that morning I definitely take one in the afternoon. My naps range from 1 hour to 2 and as long as I can get in a good hr sleep before 5pm I’m good to go.

You have my permission to pause. Give yourself that permission to stop and rest your eyes. I know that rest eye might take you into a nap but you have to listen to your body and also set alarms as backups that come on daily just in case that hr nap turns into 3.

Do you nap often? What do you feel is the best time of day to nap?