The Art of Napping – I don’t have many memories from my childhood. However, I do remember how much I hated it when my mom would make me take a nap. I’ve never been much for napping, not then and not in my adult life. Frankly, I’ve never had the time and there always has been something else better to do, like make money! When I have had the time, it’s when I am on vacation and the last thing that I want to do when on vacation is sleep it away! I bet I can count on less than both hands how many naps I have taken in the last twenty years.
Italians, as you probably know, take napping to an art form. Ever day, stores close at 12:30 or 1:00 and don’t re-open till 3:30 or 4:00. Italians take this two to three hour respite each day for a nice lunch, a glass of vino and typically follow it all up with a nap, before heading back to work for the rest of the day.
When I was in college, my best friend and roommate Kirk Leins would call this activity “Regrouping”! I never understood what went on in his bedroom for those thirty minutes when he got home from class each day. “What are you doing in there, my friends and I would ask?” He would simply reply: “I’m regrouping”…whatever the hell that meant!
One day I peaked in on him, to see what he was up to (Don’t worry, its not what you might be thinking at this point :>). He was lying face down on his bed with a “Chew” (Tobacco) in his mouth. His eyes were closed and he was clearly asleep. Not more than thirty minutes later he was done and fresh as a new born baby!
For me, “Regrouping” has become a religion. In fact, I’m a little worried that I won’t be able to get through the day without a nap when I return home! When Anna’s dad was in town he noticed my consistency for the afternoon nap and explained to Anna and I that many years ago when he worked in Libya, he too used to nap every afternoon. The problem as he explained it was that it took him five full years to break the habit! It seems that each day he would become quite weary following lunch and struggle to regain the energy for the remainder of the afternoon.
Thirty minutes to one hour seems to be the ideal time for me. If I go past the 60 minute mark its extremely difficult for me to wake back up. Anna on the other hand will take as many hours as she is allowed. I’ve seen her power nap for as much as three hours at a time! In all cases upon revival, a nice strong double espresso hits the spot just right!
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