Are You a Nap-er?

[Echoes]

Quote:

A Look at Who Naps By SAM ROBERTS Published: July 29, 2009 Wake up, America! Fully one in three adults admit that on any typical day they take a nap, according to a national survey released Wednesday. The proportion of self-proclaimed nappers was even higher among adults who had trouble sleeping the night before and who had exercised within the past 24 hours. It was also disproportionately higher among people who are poorer, black, men older than 50, men and women over 80 and among people who are not happy. The Pew Research Center Social and Demographic Trends survey of daily activities found that people who were unemployed were more likely to nap during the week than on weekends and that those with jobs were only slightly more likely to nap on weekends. The survey also asked whether people had trouble sleeping, presumably at night. Women were more likely to, as were people who make less than $20,000 a year and those who, regardless of their income, were dissatisfied with their personal financial situation. The survey did not precisely define what constitutes a nap. Some people claim they are just resting their eyes when they are really snoozing. Others may doze momentarily when reading articles about demographic trends. Still others are driven to nod off briefly by the swaying of their bus or commuter train. “Are we accurate reporters of our own habits?” said Paul Taylor, the Pew center’s director. “If you asked my grown children whether I nap, their answer is yes. Their defining image of me is in an easy chair with a newspaper in my lap, dozing off. If you ask me, my answer is no. That’s my story, and I’m sticking with it.” Napping is still often stigmatized, for example by being associated with illness or a lack of ambition. But many people, and experts, praise the benefits of a siesta or a power snooze. Confessed nappers include Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison and Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Napping, writes James B. Maas, a Cornell University sleep expert, “should have the status of daily exercise.” Mammals that divide their day between two distinct periods — sleep and wakefulness — are in the minority, according to the National Sleep Foundation, which pointed out on its Web site: “While naps do not necessarily make up for inadequate or poor quality nighttime sleep, a short nap of 20-30 minutes can help to improve mood, alertness and performance.” A version of this article appeared in print on July 30, 2009, on page A14 of the New York edition.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/us...z2R0CLEYDTj8Vw

[Echoes]

I try not to do it at work, but I pass out at least once a day when I'm home.

But then again, I'm old.

[Sunshine]

I workout everyday and no matter how busy am I or if Im on vacation, I nap everyday. No matter what is going on in my life I just have to have my nap. I love it, I look forward to it and I will never give them up! Everyone knows not to call me between 2 to 3ish as its nap time! My SIL/best friend is the EXACT same way. I love traveling with her as we are on the same nap schedule! LOL Naps are the BEST! Ok, I think you now know I adore them. Point made!

[Jahpson]

i want to take a nap, but rarely find the time to. Plus, i STILL have problems going to sleep at night. hmm

[Lilwalnut]

I love naps, although, I don't take them as much as I used to...it's just so nice to slip into your crisp, cool sheets with the ceiling fan on low and a darkened room! AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!

[vhdos]

I wish! It's impossible with a 4 and a 5 year-old. I used to nap before kids...

[mundodabolsa]

I don't really have a problem going w/o naps when I'm busy and working all day but if I'm at home, then I definitely nap. I've been doing pretty much nothing for a good three weeks now so I've napped every day, often multiple times a day!

[claireZk]

I've never been a napper, even as a small child. I can easily sleep 10-11 hours a night when I have the time, but I absolutely cannot sleep during the day, even when I'm dead tired!

[Smokestack]

Originally Posted by Echoes

I try not to do it at work, but I pass out at least once a day when I'm home. But then again, I'm old.

I echo echoes

[chessmont]

For years I had horrible trouble sleeping at night, so I napped every day. it was like clockwork, lasted 50-60 minutes.

Now, most of the time I sleep better but not always, so I nap maybe once a week, sometimes twice. My internal clock still set to 50-60 minutes...

[boxermom]

I never used to 'cause I would wake up so groggy. Now that I'm old, I do take naps a couple times a week and wake up ok, and still sleep ok at night.

[pursegal]

its my middle name... lol I love them... I can even nap from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. if I'm not working out and still go to bed at 10:00 and be ok to sleep... I love it. I think its because I do workout alot though.

[Samia]

I love naps, but on a typical work day there is no way I can nap, but I do on the weekend.

[Sternchen]

I can't nap for some reason. I wake up more tired than I was when I started!

[tsjmom]

I'd take a nap every day if I could. I've always been a big sleeper, but couple that with severe depression I'm just tired all the time.