Don't Front on the Nap

We all need The Nap

         There are a lot of times where people say to me, “I don’t know how you do it, with all these things going on in your life,” – “it” meaning stay alive I think. I think that’s what they’re referring to. I’ll share a secret with you.

         Come closer.

         *Whispers* I take a nap (almost) every day.

  

Do Not Disturb

       Seriously.

         I have since February 2008 (note that was BEFORE my kids were born).

         Almost every day for about an hour and fifteen minutes (or more if I can) somewhere between 2 and 4:30, I nap.

         Yup. Based upon my schedule (am I working that day, is it a weekend, is it the summer), I have a set time to nap. Weekends it’s 2 p.m. (with the boys who also nap). Weekdays it’s usually 2:45ish.

         At around 2:30 I literally hit a mental wall. If I don’t get to sleep soon, then it will become a full on, “OMG I’m Going To Fall Down And Die” feeling. And if I can’t nap, for example, if I have a meeting at work, then my brain is not in attendance. My frontal lobe, the part of the brain that says, “Oh hey ho, let’s NOT say that at work…” just…doesn’t go to the party. So if you’ve been at a meeting with me and I’ve said something…off…it’s probably because it was naptime.

How my kids found me when they didn't nap today.

        Part of the reason I need to nap is I don’t get enough sleep at night. I know that. I mean, seriously, who does? With two kids, a job, a business, writing a book, trying to keep my house tidy-ish, laundry, and, you know, like talking to my husband for a few minutes a day, I don’t go to bed until far past when I should. I sometimes daydream of going to bed when my kids do and I think, “Wow, that would be amazing…” but then I don’t because there’s stuff that needs to be done. The people keep needing clean clothes and shit.

         So that’s part of it I’m sure. But another part of it is that my brain needs a reset mid-day. I’m not sure if my stroke in 2008 flipped some switch or if it’s because I’m mostly an introvert and my job requires a lot of interaction/mental energy or if there is some other reason (or a combination of them), but I need a mid-day brain break.

         Who’s with me? Admit it in the comments. Who takes Adult Naps?