I really resent having to sleep much of my afternoon away. A real indicator of health for me will be increased endurance and restfulness so that I will not have to stop and sleep. I hate this gradual loss of stamina during the morning so that by Noon I am struggling and finally after lunch I surrender and go for a nap. On some stronger days I resist the fatigue and attempt to miss the nap. Unfortunately, by supper I am ready to collapse. Therefore, I almost resist the growing body of evidence that suggests that everyone should have a nap in the afternoon!
Dr. Gregg D. Jacobs writes in an article called the ”Benefits of Naps” that “because the urge for a nap is appreciably weaker than the need to sleep at night, it can be suppressed (or masked by caffeine) but at the cost of increased sleepiness and reduced mood and performance.” He also states that “sleep itself may not be the crucial factor in the positive effects of afternoon naps on improving mood; what may be important is an afternoon period of relaxation common to both resting and napping.” (http://www.talkaboutsleep.com/sleep) Others who promote naps actually suggest that a power nap will give us more patience, less stress, better reaction time, increased learning, more efficiency and better health. These sleep advocates even suggest how long a nap to take in order to enjoy specific benefits. For example, a 20 minute nap increases alertness and motor skills; a 40 minute nap increases memory; and a 90 minute nap increases creativity! Apparently, it is unnecessary to have a nap longer than 90 minutes since it merely means that the cycle of sleep begins again. However, I haven’t found any research to determine whether some of those numbers may change for someone who is ill.
What this information does suggest is that if naps are that beneficial to healthy people how much more to those who are ill. The necessity of sleep was reinforced when I read A Stroke Of Insight by the brain scientist Jill Bolte Taylor, who had a stroke at 39 years of age. She writes, “When it comes to the physical healing of cells, I cannot stress enough the value of getting plenty of sleep. I truly believe that the brain is the ultimate authority on what it needs to heal itself . . . I remain a very loud advocate for the benefits of sleep, sleep, sleep and more sleep interspersed with periods of learning and cognitive challenges.”
Obviously, I need to positively approach my naps so that negative emotions don’t hinder the benefits of this afternoon rest! I need to imagine how my cells are healing and how my immune system is getting stronger while I sleep. I need to trust my body’s wisdom and know that when I no longer need long naps I will no longer sleep as long as I do! And apparently, I am in good company as I nap since the following were self-proclaimed nappers: Albert Einstein, Leonardo Da Vinci, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, Johannes Brahms, and Eleanor Roosevelt. If naps were good enough for them, I guess they are good enough for me too!
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