You Down With N-A-P?

As both EDW and Paperback Writer discussed receiving unsolicited advice, I will put off my thoughts on that until we've all forgotten about their posts so mine will seem fresh and original, though I do have some things to say about it. Instead, today we will cover an important topic - napping. It's something I'm good at and have almost made into an art form. Today we discuss various types of naps, and their pros and cons. Couch Nap: Generally done in front of a TV, this nap requires a couch long enough to be stretched out on. You can also start a couch nap by reading and drifting off, dropping the book is optional. Couch naps rarely last more than an hour, and usually not even that long. They can cause neck pain without proper pillows. Restfulness: B Comfort: B Standard Duration: 20-40 minutes Recommended for: Before/after dinner snoozing, recovering from minor illnesses, rainy days Recliner Nap: Similar to the couch nap, although never done on one's side, recliner naps are almost never with a book - TV or music only. Normally shorter than couch naps, they also have less chance of neck injury. Restfulness: B- Comfort: B Standard Duration: 15-30 minutes Recommended for: Immediately after large meals, accidental naps (I was just going to rest my eyes) and "Baby" napping (falling asleep because you are holding a sleeping baby). Floor Naps: One of my personal favorites, floor naps tend to be short, restorative naps. Almost always with the TV on, floor naps are best accomplished with a fluffy comforter and one couch pillow. Floor napping seems to relieve my back pain, though usually causes at least one arm to fall asleep. The best way to start a floor nap is to watch a Law and Order you've seen before, and don't zip through the commercials - that seems to be when I usually drift off. Restfulness: B+ Comfort: B(with comforter), C (without) Recommended for: napping with limited time, relieving lower back pain, really hot days. Car Naps: Napping in the car is a time-honored tradition started in the 50s when people began inexplicably taking their families on road trips across the country. As a child, I most enjoyed car napping on the floor of the back seat where it was warm and the motion very soothing. Since this is now completely illegal for children, and I'm waaay too big to fit, I generally stick to napping in the passenger seat. This almost always leads to a super-stiff neck, and the sleep is not great, but the urge to nap is over-powering. Restfulness: C- Comfort: D Duration: 2 or 3 bursts of 10-15 minutes Recommended for: Long trips, providing you are not the driver. Bed Naps: The most desirable of the naps, if the least practical, bed naps are the kind where you turn out the lights, pull down the shade and snuggle down into your bed (or, I guess someone else's, I generally stick with mine). Bed naps are rare indeed and can unintentionally last longer than expected. Do not expect to take a 15 minute bed nap, it won't work, and if you do only sleep for 15 minutes, you'll have a hard time getting up. Restfulness: A Comfort: A Duration: 30 minutes - 2 hours. Recommend for: Making up for a late night, recovering from illness, dealing with stress, just because you feel like it. There are certainly other kinds of naps, but these are the major ones. In a future post I can teach you how to train yourself to nap, best napping times and all about the new "caffeine" naps.