Intro to Napping: Part 1

I was a napper for about two years: senior year of high school and freshman year of college. Since then, I haven't been able to find the balance between getting a restful sleep and not waking up hella groggy and irritable. (Yes, hella.) The last time I took a nap, I woke up 30 minutes late and proceeded to pick a terrible fight, behaving so ridiculously, I almost got dumped. It was decided then and there that Chloe Shall Never Nap Again. So it was proposed and unanimously accepted and written into law.

But really--what is all this napping crap about? Isn't that what BABIES do?!

True, but napping has also gained a lot of support from the Professional Medical Community in the past few years. I picked up Take a Nap! Change your life by Sara C. Mednick, Ph.d. at the library the other day, and I wasn't prepared for it to rock my world. But it sort of did.

Mednick explains that we're naturally biphasic sleepers, meaning that we want to sleep two times during the day. In fact, we're the only mammals that don't sleep multiple times in a 24-hour cycle, although no other mammals have to pay taxes either. That second sleepy phase falls right between 1 and 3 pm, which is prime siesta time.

Are you in the market for a nap? Well let's find out with the Epworth Sleepiness Scale, shall we?

Use the following point system to score how you'd react in the situations below.

0 = Would never doze
1 = Slight chance of dozing
2 = Moderate chance of dozing
3 = High chance of dozing

SITUATIONS

1. Sitting and reading
2. Watching TV
3. Sitting inactive in a public place, e.g., in a meeting or theater
4. Riding in a car as a passenger for an hour without a break
5. Lying down to rest in the afternoon
6. Sitting and talking to someone
7. Sitting quietly after lunch (when you've had no alcohol)
8. Sitting in a car while stopped in traffic

Now, add 'em up and let's see how sleepy you are.

If you scored:

• Less than 8: Normal sleep function. You might consider napping during periods of high stress.
  
• 8 to 10: Mild sleepiness. A well scheduled nap a couple times a week could improve your sleepiness.
  
• 11 to 15: Moderate sleepiness. You should be concerned that their sleepiness may interfere with daily activities.
  
• 16 to 20: Severe sleepiness. Talk to a doctor! You shouldn't be so sleepy.
• 21 to 24: Excessive sleepiness. You probably have a severe sleep disorder, so please seek medical attention if this is news to you.

How'd you do? Need a nap after that? In the next few days, there will be more on when, where, and how long you should nap. Get excited.

Yay naps!