Loving/ Needing an afternoon nap

74 As it happens these days, I don’t often sleep before 1am and wake about 8am. Going to sleep earlier means waking up early. If I napped during the day I wouldn’t sleep during the dark hours. I try to keep active since stopping my full time job four years ago by walking at least 6,000 steps each day, joining Pilates, slow gym and stretching classes nearly every morning but never enough for a full night’s sleep. It doesn’t bother me but I am envious of those that sleep soundly for 8 hours.

Greyduster

I can’t sleep during the day, no matter how tired I am - never have been able to. Can’t sleep in a car either. I sometimes think that if I could have an afternoon catnap, I wouldn’t be falling asleep after tea!

Is this not a bit contradictive Greyduster, you are sleeping in the day time, after tea is still day time, or was it a deliberate joke?

I hate a nap, I always feel rough when I wake up. Mind you when you open the curtains in the morning and it's yet another grey, dreary day I do feel I just want to curl up and hibernate.

I don’t get much sleep at night. My dh , best friend and her dh sit down and almost straight away are asleep. I wish I knew their secret. 🤫

Lately I've been falling asleep on an evening in front of the TV, never done this before last few months. Thing is when I wake up it takes me a couple of minutes to 'come round' and realise where I am etc. I think I must sleep really deeply when this happens I really feel quite strange when I wake up. Anybody else like this?

To my mind one of the benefits of retirement is that we can take a nap when we feel like it, or get up, drink coffee, then decide it was a mistake, and go back to bed for a longer or shorter sleep.

And Bea, I am sorry to hear about your brother, I have found that having terminally ill family members made me so tired that I would gladly have crawled back into my bed in the morning instead of making it! Be kind to yourself, during this trying and hard time.

I can only nap during the day when I’m ill, I wish I could as you all make it sound lovely!

I nearly always have an afternoon nap since retiring. I am 78 and worked until I was 70. I find an afternoon nap helps me to sleep better at night. I go to bed before 10.30 pm. My husband sleeps for about 3 hours every afternoon but goes to bed much later than I do.

WIth me it isnt a question of Will I nap or not-

it just happens !

Just enjoy it!

I love an after lunch nap, I usually start reading and fall asleep after a page or two.

I am self employed and structure my work and appointments round my nap time.

It won't do you any harm at all. Think of it as recharging your batteries.

I never used to nap in the afternoon, but then developed an overwhelming feeling that I needed to every day. Didn’t think anything of it as my mum had always napped in the afternoon. Happened to mention it to my doctor during a checkup and a blood test revealed an underactive thyroid. Now, with medication, I no longer need to nap.

grandtanteJE65

To my mind one of the benefits of retirement is that we can take a nap when we feel like it, or get up, drink coffee, then decide it was a mistake, and go back to bed for a longer or shorter sleep.

And Bea, I am sorry to hear about your brother, I have found that having terminally ill family members made me so tired that I would gladly have crawled back into my bed in the morning instead of making it! Be kind to yourself, during this trying and hard time.

Yes it’s very tiring more like exhausting when close family terminal and need to recharge - I think the naps help but feel guilty when I think my brother can’t move and here I am going to lie on bed when I can but fatigue starts in shoulders and down back ..