Naps

Naps are a funny thing. I find it ironic that the desire to take naps and the opportunity to take them are inversely related. In other words, when we don't want to take naps as kids we have plenty of time to do so but when we grow up and really want to take a nap, there isn't time. Or if there is time, we can't shut our brains off long enough to actually fall asleep during our window of opportunity - or is that just me?

We have been beyond the nap stage for quite awhile at our house - now if they fall asleep during the day, it means they won't be tired at bedtime and a vicious cycle begins, so I actually discourage naps most of the time...I cannot believe I just wrote that, but it's true. For myself, unless there is a solid block of about 3 hours, I don't bother even trying because it just doesn't work - I get just enough sleep to feel grumpy about being woken up and that really doesn't benefit anyone. And let me tell you, blocks of free time that long are few and far between at our house.

It wasn't always that way. In high school and college, I could fall asleep almost at will. Then I had kids and that ability went away. During the day even when I'm totally exhausted, chances are it's going to take me a half hour or so to wind down and get my mind to stop racing.

Night is a different story - I pretty much have to keep moving at night because once I stop, it's over. I can't tell you how many movies and TV shows I have only seen the first 15 minutes of because I fell asleep almost as soon as I sit down.

All this to say that today was one of those rare days - I got to take a nap! And it was very good. Amen.