To Nap or Not to Nap By Emily Summerhayes

“To Nap or Not to Nap, that is the question.

Whether ‘tis nobler to give into the urge and nap.

Or better to resist and hold out.

Trying desperately to stay awake and function despite the fatigue.”

~Misquote of Shakespeare’s Hamlet

I really struggle with fatigue. It doesn’t seem to matter how long or how well I sleep, I’m still exhausted. Its really frustrating trying to function when I’m so tired all the time. I hate trying to do cognitively demanding tasks like simple math problems as my brain just blanks. I know what I’m doing should be easier than this, but my brain’s just so tired it doesn’t want to cooperate.

I’ve heard a lot of debate over whether its okay to nap or not. I get that napping undermines the sleep pressure your body builds up over the day so you theoretically can be very tired by bedtime and go to sleep. And that napping regularly is poor sleep hygiene and a habit that is very hard to break once you start.

But then there are days when I’m so tired I just can’t function. I try to tough it out, but my body just can’t do it. I also tend to get really, really irritable, to the point where everything annoys me and I just can’t cope. Or the pains so high that I can’t handle it.

In these cases, I’ve learned to be gracious to myself. Yes, napping every day is not ideal and not something that I want to be doing. But then there are days when I need a nap to get back on top of my pain and symptoms. Going back to bed in the morning, or taking a nap in the afternoon allows me to do what I need to do. As long as it is (ideally) not an everyday thing, I’ve learned to accept that this is what I need sometimes. Or if I have a nap before a big event, then that allows me to go and have fun without being so exhausted that I can’t participate as I want to.

I try to keep these naps shortish. I was told at one pain clinic that taking 45-minute naps doesn’t disrupt your sleep schedule and circadian rhythm, which is nice, but some days I need more sleep than that. I’ve also found that crashing on the couch for a half hour or an hour with a good podcast is a good way to let my body rest and recharge without actually napping.

But hey, I totally get it if you nap regularly, no judgement. That’s just not what I’ve found works best for me.

Hi, I’m Emily Summerhayes, I’m thrilled to be a guest here! When I’m not crafting, sewing, or drawing, you are most likely to find me in the garden ripping out weeds. Or playing with my miniature goats Cinnamon and Sesame or cuddling my cats Thomas and Cleo and dog Diesel. I have CRPS, FND, and POTS, but still love to create, swim, volunteer with 4-H, and be outside.