Wednesday, September 9, 2009


The Perfect Nap

We all know the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Sleep is necessary, not only for robust health and comely countenance, but for a pleasant mood as well. Most grouchy people don’t get enough sleep. But too few of us, I fear, just don’t appreciate the many salubrious effects of a nap. Too often considered a characteristic of sloth, the nap is unfairly burdened with comparisons to losers, bums, and those afflicted with a particularly unpleasant quality of apathetic inertia.
Au Contraire, I say! Done correctly, a nap is a beautiful thing - sort of a cosmic rebooting - that refreshes the outlook, invigorates the mind and uncorks a bit of extra energy to rejuvenate the remaining hours of the day. For those who perhaps look upon the nap as merely a symptom of laziness, let me offer some hopefully helpful guidelines, for I have been a champion of the nourishing effects of a nap for years.

1. Naps should be fairly short. Anything from twenty minutes to one hour is preferable. A shorter nap will make you disoriented, a longer one will make you sluggish.

2. Never take a nap in bed. One should only go to bed in the middle of the day when one has a bad cold, or the flu. Or a tummy ache. Taking a nap in bed is simply, “going back to bed” and that is only desirable on a stormy day when one feels rather blue, and only permissible before noon. Going back to bed in the afternoon is just not recommended, for even if you are not sick, you will feel as if you should be. It is, however, quite permissible to lie atop the bed, under a quilt or throw. Just do not get back in it. Look for a large chair that is capacious enough to curl up inside, or a chaise lounge with a perfectly placed neck pillow. These are better choices by far.

3. Pay close attention to the weather. This is very important. Do not even attempt a nap on a beautiful cloudless day in autumn. Your mother was right, you should be outside on a day like that. A stormy afternoon is ideal however, and a straight-down winter rain is sublime. If possible, nap with the windows open, and it goes without saying, if you have a ceiling fan, by all means turn it on. A soft breeze blowing, and you’re half way there. Also, listening to the faint outside sounds of nature only adds to the beauty of the nap. A chirp here, the sparkle of a wind-chime there, a blustery wind rustling the leaves in the trees? Perfect.
Of course, this will not work if you live in the city. Car horns and slamming doors do not a good nap make.

4. If you are fortunate enough to share your life with a large furry dog - or two - as I am, then you are incredibly well-suited for a successful nap experience. Large furry dogs love to nap. It is one of their favourite things and they are experts at it. They will study you closely to determine if you are comfortable then they will lie down next to you, sigh a heavy sigh of contentment and begin to doze. The ideal companionship. I am fairly certain smaller dogs and cats would behave the same way, so feel free to include them as well.

5. Some people like to listen to music when they nap, though personally I prefer the quiet natural sounds from outside. Music tends to keep me awake and effect my mood in various ways that are not condusive to the consummate nap. If this is not the case with you and you would prefer musical accompaniment, then I would suggest you chose your selections most carefully. Chopin over Springsteen, Debussy over Bjork.

6. Now this may be controversial, but I speak from experience. It is best to nap when your house is clean, there are fresh flowers in the vases and dinner is cooking. This is the ideal time. Otherwise, I fear one is prone to simply lie there and fret about what needs to be done and that is just no fun at all. It totally undermines the whole thing.

7. Do not worry that you might miss something. Nothing is so important that it cannot wait an hour. Trust me on this.

So fill your vases with flowers, find a big chair, and take a nap!!
You can thank me later.

46 comments:

  1. From one lover of naps to another, thank you for this entry. A nap is a wonnnnnderful thing. And something I try for, most every day of my life.

    Long live napping!

    Gentle hugs,
    'Aunt Amelia'

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  2. Oh I totally agree! I love to nap, by the open window with the sounds of nature coming in. However, in our house, it is sometimes necessary to put the teacosy on my head to muffle the sound of Necky Becky and Nexi bickering ...

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  3. my naps have less restrictions-I would not ever take one if (clean house) dogs definitely 1 and sometimes a cat. Peter Jennings was a famous napper- we should delve into this and do a post on famous nappers- Let's start compiling a list! GT

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  4. Oh, I'm with you on this one, dogs included. My two are sooooo happy if I'll lie down with them. They press into me as hard as they can and we all sleep blissfully. The only problem I have is limiting it to an hour or under:( It just feels so good I can't stop. Er, or start.

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  5. I average about 2 naps a YEAR! lol I always say that I must have been punished when I was a child and MADE to take a nap because that's what it feels like now as an adult. Maybe it is that the house it not clean, flowers in the vases and dinner cooking. I never thought of it that way. I'll let you know if it makes a difference! heehee!

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  6. Amen sister naps are wonderful for the mind and soul. The last two years I have enjoyed a short nap and look forward to them when I can. Today we laid the backseats flat of the car, laid Kelly in her dogbed, open the sunroof and she slept like a baby during the whole ride. It was funny she was dazed and confused when we got home.
    xoox

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  7. I adore a short nap. I almost always nap on my bed with a quilt.
    My husband always take a half hour nap on the weekends. He's so lucky...he can wish himself to sleep. What a perfectly lovely post.

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  8. Naps, I am sure were invented by the angels. Nothing surpasses a post-pranial nap after Sunday lunch. When entertaining guests for dinner it its imperative to have a 20 min. nap before dressing with the table set to perfection, the candles at the ready and dinner simmering away or exuding delicious aromas from the oven.

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  9. Lovely post and a little nap is a wonderful thing.
    Our dog Heidi, used to do the circling three times around her basket and then lie down with a gentle sigh, as if saying ... I am content now and then fall asleep.
    I love the photo on your sidebar of Edward and you, that is so beautiful.

    Hugs
    Carolyn

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  10. I could not get through my day without a ten minute nap - I start to keel over at around 2pm, and retire for for short, light zzz, feeling alive again within minutes of waking!

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  11. such perfect napping tips! The most indulgent of times i feel are those when you can close your eyes and drift off to the sounds of nature, in a home all peaceful & tidy, to wake up refreshed a wee while later feeling a little bit naughty but very nice!(not that it happens often enough!! my dear grandmother, would "make" us have an afternoon nap much to our annoyance when we were small, when we could hear all the joys of the countryside calling to us from the lane outside, our feet itching to get up & go. I smile when i remember that now as i lay my head down!

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  12. At Swiftwater a daily nap is a must! We get up at 5 A.M. and work while it's cool. so around 2P.M we hit the couches for an hour nap. If it is cool outside like in Spring or Fall we have a bed on the screen porch to nap on! Oh the dogs are great nappers!! :) xoxo

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  13. I'll try and keep that in mind ....Do NOT get back into it!

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  14. I'm not grumpy, but I'm just not a napper. I fight it as best I can...And then I pass out on the sofa everyday around five.
    Catherine

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  15. I just can't nap, but luckily I am very rarely grumpy. My husband can nap quite easily, and he always says about 20 minutes is just about right, just as you say! If ever I have fallen to sleep though (not in a bed) I agree falling asleep on a huge furry dog is absolutely delightful! Suzie. xxx

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  16. Hello P&E,

    I have always been envious of those who can take a short nap and feel rejuvenated. I tend to turn into a grouch! So if I do happen to fall asleep in the chair, it's because I really am tired!

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  17. I am the queen of napdon! - laying on my bed with my favorite blanket, 20 minutes is just the best! best! thing! wonderful post!

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  18. Lovely post...I must confess, I'm very guilty of crawling back under the covers...

    Hum...my student is gone, my daughter naps at 3:30 and my son doesn't have scouts until tonight so I might be able to squeeze one in on this cloudy September afternoon...The dogs have been napping most of the day, though.

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  19. A nap enthusiast am I!
    Love the list of conditions. I simply close my eyes and wake up feeler refreshed and flushed!
    My Mother would say, You either need a nap or food!
    It still stands true-
    pve

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  20. Oh, I can't quite allow myself a day time nap! However badly I'd like one - my mother always thought it was a waste of useful time, and I'm still racked with guily if I even contemplate it! My husband, on the other hand, loves his Sunday afternoon nap in his armchair.

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  21. I'm not much of a napper, so I will go with your advice. Now I am longing for a cold winter's day, with the window opened a crack, and a cashmere blanket, and gingerbread in the oven.

    Do you mind if I tell you that you are adorable?

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  22. We have just had a lovely lunch and now it's nap time, - a daily routine that peps the ancient ones up no end!

    Charles naps in his big chair, - I nap on the sofa with Caspar at my feet and quite often Miss Callie on my tummy. Half an hour (well, sometimes an hour, depending upon whether we got up at 5.30 or 6.....

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  23. There is nothing more peaceful or rewarding than a nap well spent - except one spent in the company of your canine companion, of course. Lily wishes me to pass on her compliments to the charming and winsome Edward. If he ever makes it to SF, she has a nylabone she would be more than willing to share.

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  24. Hahaha! Perfect advise. Note to self: put this advise into action or inaction first thing tomorrow. :)

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  25. Most of my naps are in front of the television during programs I really wanted to see. A soft grey windy day on the weekend though with sounds a long long way in the distance,ie. birds,children,a roast dinner gently sizzling, and I can succumb to a nap very easily!

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  26. Unfortunately the Rascal Brothers (aka Archie and Dougal) couldn't stay still long enough for me to have a nap - sounds oh so lovely though! Leigh

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  27. It's so funny I found this because I was just saying how bad I needed a nap today !

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  28. I love your nap manifesto. I only began to be able to take naps about a year or two ago. I am very good at it now. I have a hammock chair in my studio that is just the thing. Nothing like floating in the air for a good effortless afternoon sleep.

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  29. Once my house is clean, fresh flowers are in the vases and the sun goes behind the clouds or heaven forbid it rains - I'll drift off to some Chopin while curled up on the chaise. Another thing that is missed with a house in chaos and too many projects! A good nap.

    Have one for me :)
    xo Isa

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  30. Oh Pamela I love this post!..I hope you don't mind if I copy it and save it to look at whenever I feel the need?...This is exactly how I feel about napping...but I'm never able to nap unless I'm trying to read and then I don't want to! Maybe it has something to do with the feelings that my home must be clean first with fresh flowers on the table:)

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  31. You can always count on a dog to be up for an afternoon nap :-)
    Lovely {power of suggestion} image ♥

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  32. A nap with my dog against me! Oh yes, I love it!

    Greet

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  33. Excellent, I shall pass your recommendations to my daughter who has previous for being a bit of a napper. I'm surprised she makes it through a day at the office...

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  34. I always feel guilty about napping, feeling to be a little lazy if I need one. This has got to change now that I see everyone seems to be doing it! :)

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  35. I'm not a nap person, because I'm an A-driven personality:)
    But...I do love the Toulouse L'Autrec style illustration on top of your article!

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  36. Wonderful post! But I must admit I am a terrible napper. On the rare occassion that I do take a nap—because I'm just beat that day or reading a book sends me off—I wake up cranky and ruined for the rest of the day. So I avoid them! But I do like to find a quiet spot to sit and daydream or stare off into the garden for a while on a hectic day. More like meditating than napping I guess. But it works!

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  37. I couldn't agree more about the wonders of the well taken nap! I secretly look forward to terrible winter weather so I have an excuse to take one.

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  38. Ahhh...the true art of nap!

    For me it is rare...too rare. But when I do nod off in a cozy chair...or better yet a swaying hammock...It is Ambrosia!

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  39. I am going to have to print this post out to share with hubby as he is a napper. I just sort of flop when things are alol done. :-)

    I don't know why I wasn't alerted about your previous posts. So sorry to hear about your friend and thank you for the Winter book recommendation. I am brousing Strewwelpeter at the moment. I can see where Roald Dahl was coming from. :-)

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  40. you napping tips are right on !
    i take a 20 min nap when i can, and i am like a new person when i awaken.
    as you say...re-booted and ready to go!

    xx
    kisses to E

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  41. I think perhaps we were separated at birth - lots of love to you, handsome Edward & Apple from me, Miss D and those darn cats

    I "know" that you're all enjoying September

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  42. I am a nap lover, and I loved this post!

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  43. Oh this is a lovely post.
    I haven't napped since childhood, when they were enforced by mother and we gladly obliged. I miss napping and know that I can't take that just now. This is one of the reasons I've always wanted a chaise longue, beautiful relaxation.

    But your tips are needed, I would also strongly recommend placing a soft scarf, cotton, silk or anything across your face as you nap. It clears the air deliciously while still keeping you aware of the sounds around you, very calming.

    Do you set a waking alarm when the dinner is on?

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  44. This is a great post! I've never napped because i always feel worse afterwards than I did when to begin with - obviously I have been napping for too long! I shall study all the requirements carefully and try again:)

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!