Naps

I'm a professional napper. I'm not talking about a pathetic power-napper or cat-napper. I need a solid 1 -2 hour nap to really feel refreshed. Napping is in my blood. My mother has a gold medal in napping, my father doesn't admit to actually napping because he does it under the guise of watching TV or reading, and my brother also naps regularly.

My mom has taken a 2 hour nap for as long as I can remember. When I was younger even our dog and cat would obediently retire to her bedroom for naptime. None of us ever had a problem with it, because my mother begins to turn into someone akin to Joan Crawford in "Mommie Dearest" without sleep. Since I've had kids, I have indeed inherited this napless trait. My dad begins to look like my grandfather (huge bags under his eyes) if he doesn't take a "reading or TV" break (code for nap) during the day. When they come to visit, we all retreat to our separate rooms while the boys are in school. It's fabulously rejuvenating, really. My friends are astonished by my napping ability, considering that I am a healthy adult in relatively good shape with no apparent deficiencies. Frankly, I think they're all jealous.

I suppose what makes this even more strange is that we are able to easily fall asleep at our exceedingly early bedtimes. My mom's is 8pm and mine is 9pm. Some believe we are wasting the day by sleeping. I say, shame on them. If you try it, you just might like it.