Nappin’ Ain’t Easy 2
Inconsistency ain’t easy
We posited yesterday that napping is a far more difficult endeavor than nighttime sleep for three key reasons.
First, as simple as it sounds, every single night we go to sleep whereas some days we don’t nap at all. Our brains and bodies know we are going to sleep at night — and the longer it takes, the more the brain sends signals it’s time to shut down. Contrast that to a nap, where days can go by without this luxury. This makes it difficult for the brain and body to know if and when they will get the chance — forcing them to keep the adrenaline (or caffeine) pumping on the chance we won’t get that respite. That adrenaline causes everyone issues — and it is this challenge above all else we need to solve.
Second, even if we know we will nap, there is hardly ever much advance planning. Sometimes we flex (pre-noon), sometimes we go too late (4-5pm), and in between is also a large window. Our bodies do not adjust to this with no prescribed schedule. On the other hand, most of us go to sleep at a set time each night, give or take an hour at most. Our bodies have accepted this routine.
Without a game plan (and practice), simply falling into a restful slumber — on a haphazard schedule, at a random time of day — is a high bar for novices. Which leads us to a third, critical point to explore before we look at the solutions to these nap inhibitors…