Author Spotlight
Coming home from a full day of school, I throw my backpack in the corner and curl up in my red floral recliner. Within a few short minutes my eyes begin to shut and I fall asleep to the quiet mumbling of the TV. Another few hours of my life spent doing exactly what I want to do: napping
Parents overbook their children’s lives from age three. It all starts off with mother-daughter gymnastics. Then comes rec-soccer and Fun Girls Basketball League in elementary school.
Finally, in high school, just when you think your parents will let you have some freedom, they want you to get a job and participate in extracurricular activities.
Looking back on my elementary years, I realize life wouldn’t be the same without that Saturday drive to the Leawood soccer fields as an eight-year-old. But when can we get a break from going to all these various activities? When are we supposed to have time to relax? For me, it’s not time to relax. It’s time to nap.
Some might say I have a problem. Others think I’m wasting my time. But I like to think that I have a passion. I have an obsession. Or simply, God gifted me with the talent to sleep.
I should have known when my favorite childhood book was “The Napping House” that I would always love to nap. I now finally realize that I don’t just enjoy reading about sleeping. I enjoy actually sleeping.
Yes, I still play sports and do my homework. But I also set aside time to take naps. Not a few times a month or once a week — but just about every day.
It’s easy to take a nap on a couch or a bed, the most preferred accommodations, but I’ve been known to choose some other spots to snooze. I’ve slept at the dinner table, on boats, in closets and even, on occasion, during class.
Sometimes I am ever grateful for this talent. For instance, what else is there to do on a nine-hour flight to Hawaii than sleep the entire time?
Some have a difficult time going back to sleep once they are awake. My body tends to disagree. Within my family, I am known for waking up, inhaling a bowl of Honey Bunches of Oats, then falling back asleep for a few hours.
I like to think of breakfast as a water break during a basketball game. You just need a quick break then you have enough energy to get back to work. Only in my case, work is sleep.
As I begin to plan my future I am realizing more and more that an eight-hour workday will not include nap-time. Maybe businesses can work in a daily siesta like they have in Mexico, or my résumé for Monster.com will have to include: daily naps required.
You say you enjoy being busy and having a full schedule?
Take my advice.
I can almost guarantee there is nothing better than taking a nap on a crisp fall afternoon, or going to bed at 9:30 on a Saturday night. You get that relaxed feeling that courses through your body just as your head hits the pillow when you think, “There is nothing in the world I want more right now than 12 hours of sleep.”
No, I don’t feel like I’m wasting my day. And I don’t wish I was outside enjoying the weather or hanging out with friends. They’re not going anywhere.
I suggest taking a step back and look at your jam packed life. Maybe drop out of a few things and then use that time to nap — you’ll thank me.
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