A Life of Simple JoyReducing stress, increasing joy one post at a time!

I sometimes think naps were created for Sundays… or is it the other way around? No matter. Some days, we simply need or want a nap. Take cool rainy days. There is nothing better than snuggling up with the window slightly cracked, drifting off to sleep to the sound of gently falling rain. Then there are warm summer days. How refreshing it is to take a nap after a warm day spent outside. I think naps give our bodies a chance to rebuild and renew when the weather is warm. The heat seems to take a lot out of all of us and a nice nap puts it all right back.

There are tricks to taking a nap, though. I try to avoid falling into a deep long sleep. This makes me groggy the rest of the evening and sometimes makes it tough to fall asleep that night. All I want is a brief sleep to refresh me for the afternoon. I like to have the fan on no matter the time of year. The fan creates white noise, shutting out the sounds from outside. The fan also cools off the room, making me sleepy. I don’t like to lie down right after lunch since I don’t want to sleep on a full stomach. Sometimes, I read a bit but often, I just close my eyes and drift off.

There are days when I don’t sleep but I do relax and allow my mind to solve any problems that I am unable to solve when I am fully awake.

Most of all, a nap is just a great treat during the day. A simple joy that gives me a great afternoon and evening.