To Heal, Divine
The incredible healing powers of the nap
Back in my mid-twenties, I began experiencing a rare form of migraine known as cluster headaches. For me, these types of headaches come for 3-4 weeks at a time, and then disappear for a year, maybe more. Unlike many other migraines, cluster headaches are concentrated pain (for me on the right side of my head) and can last for fifteen minutes to several hours.
For the past four weeks or so, I’ve been experiencing a pretty terrible bout of cluster headaches (hopefully this round is starting to fade). Unfortunately, there’s not much that I can do in terms of relief from the pain. I’ve found that oxygen provides the best relief, either by going for a run, hopping on the bike, or hooking up to an oxygen tank (unlike many other forms of migraine, cluster headaches make you very antsy and active).
As you may have guessed, another form of relief and daily healing is if I can close my eyes and take a nap. Sometimes it’s tough to lose consh amidst a painful episode, but if I can somehow do it, oftentimes I’ll wake up and the worst of the daily migraine has passed.
As we’ve shared almost daily here on TND, there are so many incredible aspects to the nap. And for me, the nap can truly be a healer. To be able to wake up and experience a little less pain makes me incredible grateful. To nap, to heal, divine!