Napping Update
So school has been in session for a few weeks and I've been napping or attempting to nap ever since. In general I would have to say that the success of the experiment has been mixed. I'm enjoying getting a good start on the day and I'm also really enjoying having lots of time in the evening/night. But I'm not sleeping as well as I should. I'm having a hard time falling asleep, and my naps are not as deep as I would expect. Generally when I napped before starting this experiment, I would fall asleep and then wake up about two hours later. Now when I nap I seem to be a little bit slower to fall asleep, when I do I'm not sleeping as deeply as during a "normal" nap, and I generally wake up after about 30-45 minutes, nest for another 5-10 and then fall asleep for another 30-45.
Currently I go to bed between about midnight and 1:00 (more often the former than the latter); wake up at 7:00; and nap between 1:00 and 3:00. I don't get a nap at least twice a week (Sunday's and Thursday's, i.e. today, for sure) and sometimes three times. If you do the math you'll probably notice that on those days that I do get a nap I'm in bed generally 9 hours a day, but I'm certainly not feeling over-rested.
So I think I need to make some changes (and I'm open to suggestions as well) I think to be ready for a nap at 1:00 I need to wake up earlier. I've been meaning for a while to start waking up at 6:30, but I've been putting it off with the rationalization that I needed the extra half hour in order to adjust to the schedule. Now I'm thinking that I need to force myself to wake up a little earlier in order to really take advantage of the nap... I think I'll be ok as long as I continue to go to bed mostly at midnight.
"The gaming post got a warning, but this literal snooze fest was presented without any caveat!?!??!"
Currently I go to bed between about midnight and 1:00 (more often the former than the latter); wake up at 7:00; and nap between 1:00 and 3:00. I don't get a nap at least twice a week (Sunday's and Thursday's, i.e. today, for sure) and sometimes three times. If you do the math you'll probably notice that on those days that I do get a nap I'm in bed generally 9 hours a day, but I'm certainly not feeling over-rested.
So I think I need to make some changes (and I'm open to suggestions as well) I think to be ready for a nap at 1:00 I need to wake up earlier. I've been meaning for a while to start waking up at 6:30, but I've been putting it off with the rationalization that I needed the extra half hour in order to adjust to the schedule. Now I'm thinking that I need to force myself to wake up a little earlier in order to really take advantage of the nap... I think I'll be ok as long as I continue to go to bed mostly at midnight.
"The gaming post got a warning, but this literal snooze fest was presented without any caveat!?!??!"
posted by DireKobold at 9:05 PM
3 Comments:
"Currently I go to bed between about midnight and 1:00 ...; wake up at 7:00; and nap between 1:00 and 3:00"
You are probably burning some stress and sleeping off the impact.
"... I'm open to suggestions as well ..."
Start sleep at 11-something. Get up a little earlier and stretch / exercise for whatever margin of time you can afford. Don't discount the value of stretching.
Check out the "Mito Cocktail" of Coenzyme Q-10, L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipotine.
What? Just saying ...
Why did you pick 1:00 for your nap time. Most people's circasemidian rhythm results in the optimum postprandial nap occurring between 2-4:00 pm. You may want to experiment a little with the optimum timing for your nap.
The fact that you used to sleep 2 hours when you napped is not a good benchmark for how long you should sleep when you are taking a regular afternoon nap. If you wake up after 35-45 minutes that is one complete sleep cell. I think at that point I would get up and do something. The most common complaint people have with napping is sleep inertia. Work to overcome that by exposing yourself to direct sunlight and doing some brief exercise or stretching as aozora suggested.
When you do nap, have you got a completely dark, quiet room (or white noise) to nap in? If not, try sleeping with a pillow over your head. Get a fairly stiff pillow so it will lay on the side of your face (assuming you sleep on your side) without draping over your nose and mouth. That way you will still be able to breathe comfortably. It won't block out all the light, but when you close your eyes it should be dark enough.
Are you removing all restricting clothing when you lay down to nap or are you sleeping in your clothes. Try changing into whatever you normally wear to bed. This means you will have to get dressed when you wake up and that seems like a time waster, but it serves as exercise so the extra time in getting completely undressed and dressed is offset. Also, if you sleep better its worth it.
And by all means get up earlier. People who sleep in until 6:30 should really be embarassed to need a nap.
I picked 1-3 because it allows me to go back into work and still have three hours (before I have to come home at six) plus it's in the middle of when the youngest is gone to kindergarten.
That's one of the reasons why I think I should wake up earlier, I think I read somewhere that your name time is mostly based on when you wake up, rather than when you went to bed.
I have a pretty dark room and I also put a stiff pillow over my face. I also change into what I normally wear to bed, so on those points I'm doing okay.
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