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Is napping good for moms
Filed under: Just For Moms, Toddlers Preschoolers, Work Life, Development/Milestones: Babies
Sometimes the first thought on my mind when I open my eyes in the morning is, "I can't wait until the next time I can go back to sleep." This train of thought has nothing to do with a depression or distaste for life, but rather the fact that I just don't feel like I can ever get enough sleep. My 2 year-old slumbers in his crib from about 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. Once he goes to sleep then it is time to tend to the older children. Once they are in bed, by about 9 or 9:30 p.m., then I feel entitled to some time to myself. Sometimes this span of time stretches and I end up getting far less sleep than I need before the whole grind begins again the next morning.Now that I work from home, I can sometimes catch a quick nap during Devon's afternoon sleep time. But is this a good idea for an adult? According to some folks at the Mayo Clinic an afternoon nap is a good thing if you awake refreshed and ready for the remainder of the day. A nap that lasts between 30 and 60 minutes is a beneficial recharger for the body; anything longer could upset the body's internal clock and disrupt night time sleep patterns.
I prefer my afternoon naps to last somewhat longer and I don't always awaken refreshed and ready to face the rest of my daily duties. But maybe I can limit the next nap to an hour and go to bed earlier. What about you? Are you a napper?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
8-29-2006 @ 5:39PM
ann adams said...I don't really fit into the mom category exactly but there are afternoons I can't keep my eyes open. If I can manage an hour before they all come roaring in from school, it makes a lot of difference.
If I wait until later or sleep too long, I'm awake most of the night. It's a balancing act.
As a matter of fact, it sounds pretty good right now.
zzzzzzzzzz
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8-29-2006 @ 6:15PM
thordora said...I have never been a good napper, aside from the first two weeks after giving birth. In fact, I distinctly remember as a child hating being forced into my room for a "nap", because I'd always wake up hot with aheadache from my naps.
As a parent, I now understand why my mother did this.
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8-29-2006 @ 6:20PM
Mandy said...I love naps. I can sleep 8-10 hours at night when my son sleeps and I can take a 2 hour nap during the day. Naps are never a bad thing in my home.
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8-29-2006 @ 6:41PM
LB said...I miss napping soooo much. When my boys were little I took a nap with them and popped up after a bit to take care of odds and ends while they slept a little more! LOVED it.
Now that everyone is too old for naps yet too young for me to go off and doze, I'm exausted. Overall I'm one of those moms who finds ages 5-10 way more challenging than the when they were tots.
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8-29-2006 @ 6:53PM
LS said...I think we should just ignore those studies and start listening to our bodies. Sometimes, you just need to nap. There are days when I am completely dragging my sorry butt from one room to another, my brain is fogged, and I'm thanking my lucky stars that my little one is a pretty good kid and doesn't get into trouble, because I probably wouldn't notice. Those days, when he sleeps, so do I. And it doesn't throw off my sleep schedule. My body asked for something and I responded. Why would that be bad?
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8-29-2006 @ 7:09PM
Daisy said...I am all about napping! LOVE IT!! I try to get at least an hour or two a couple times a week. Some days it's all I can do to stay awake till my daughter lays down in the afternoon. Other times I use the time to get things done around the house.
But I do love naps...
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8-29-2006 @ 8:31PM
Lea said...It didn't come naturally, but I've trained myself to take naps here and there, but because I often try to work (freelance or blog) during Baby A's nap, sometimes it's just not an option. Maybe once or twice a week I will catch 20 minutes of sleep.
Ugh, I *so* know that feeling upon waking up in the morning...when the only thing that gets you out of bed is the thought of getting a nap.
- L
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9-01-2006 @ 12:47AM
Laura said...I love to nap. I try to everytime I can get my 2 and 1/2 year old and 11 month old to sleep at the same time. I have always been a napper. I consider a good nap to be an hour to an hour and a half. 20 to 30 mintues just do not cut it for me. I would rather not nap, which is often, than to sleep for this length of time.
Laura
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8-29-2006 @ 9:20PM
Kimberly said...I have a 1 yr. old and a 2 yr. old. And that's jsut who is home all day with me. I also have a 10 yr.old in school most of the day. I actually schedule a nap in my day. I never sleep more than about 45 minutes, but it really does wonders for me. I work from home also, so it is a little easier to be able to do that. My babies take thier nap sometime between 11 am and 1 pm. It all depends on the night before. As long as I am able to lay down within that 3 hour time frame it's recharging for me. If it's after that I have to just go to bed that night a little earlier. I think it fine for a mom to nap. Have you ever heard that saying,"Mommy is tired, it's time for your nap"?
As moms we are expected to be everything to everybody. It gets exhausting. I feel it's a good thing to recharge your batteries so to say. That way we are a more cheerful mommy, and not monster mom! LOL!
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8-29-2006 @ 9:56PM
Misil Hall said...Yes napping is good for moms! If my mom hadn't napped during the day hpw in the world would I have smoked?!
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8-29-2006 @ 11:17PM
Nikki said...Naps are awesome. Sometimes when I get home from work (about 2 pm), I just HAVE to have a nap before the kids get home. Being a mom and working full time is hard. Do what your body tells you.
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8-30-2006 @ 1:30AM
Rachael said...When my little ones were actually little, I napped a lot. I had a pair of "Catholic" twins, being just 12 months apart. They are not 9 and 10 but when I need a picker up'er, I will grab an hour's nap.
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