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I get a lot of flak from friends about my fondness for napping. But give me one rotten night's sleep and I take three times as long to write a sentence as I normally would and the better part of the morning to make even the most trivial decision.
I don't drink caffeine, so when I find myself wasting the day away due to sleep deprivation, I nap. Twenty minutes, one hour, even three hours -- however much I can afford to sneak in between deadlines and meetings.
I'm far from the only self-employed person who does this. One personal trainer I know even heads home each Monday through Friday at noon, fixes herself lunch, walks her dog, and naps for an hour before returning to work.
I realize that not everyone has the luxury of snoozing on weekdays (new parents and office workers, to name a few). But you may be surprised to know just how many Americans do doze off during the day -- intentionally, that is.
According to a new Pew Research Center poll, 34 percent of Americans nap during the day -- weekends, weekdays, holidays, you name it. The New York Times cites Albert Einstein, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, and Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton as "confessed nappers." And not too long ago, napping centers -- spa-like businesses with quiet rooms and comfy chairs where executives could grab some shuteye -- were New York City's wellness story du jour.
According to the Pew survey, napping is more prevalent in men than women. It's also more prevalent in people who aren't as happy.
In addition, Pew found little difference in nappers' propensity to sleep during the workweek and on the weekend. And while it shouldn't come as any shock that those who had trouble sleeping the night before are more likely to nap, a noticeable difference in how the sexes deal with stress did rear its head:
"In spite of the fact that women are less likely than men to report having napped in the past 24 hours (31% vs. 38%), they are more likely than men to report having had trouble sleeping (29% vs. 22%) in the past 24 hours," the Pew study noted.
Readers, what's your solution to making up for a skimpy or stinky night's sleep? Are you a napper? An intravenous caffeine user? Or do you just tough it out till evening rolls around and hit the hay as early as you can?
Freelance writer Michelle Goodman is the author of "My So-Called Freelance Life" and "The Anti 9-to-5 Guide." E-mail her at ninetothrive@nwjobs.com.
By moralee on August 10, 2009 6:52 AM
For starters, caffeine, in moderation, like a wake-up cup can't hurt. Now for this:
Researchers have found that women who reported napping daily were 44 per cent more likely to die from any cause while 58 per cent more likely to die from cardiovascular causes
Also 59 per cent were more likely to die from non-cardiovascular, non-cancer causes. The study involving 8,101 Caucasian women aged 69 and older that showed that those who reported sleeping between 9-10 hours per 24-hour period also had a greater risk of mortality compared to those who slept between 8-9 hours.
By unsleepy on August 10, 2009 7:26 AM
Those with chronic daytime sleepiness should get checked at a sleep disorders center. After a lifetime of believing my fatigue was my fault (laziness, depression, allergies, poor eating habits, uneven sleep routines, lack of exercise, etc.), I finally went to a sleep specialist (Dr. Bains at Virginia Mason is freakin' awesome!) and got my life back. This article is a little unclear: correlation does not mean causation, and naps may be the result of health issues rather than the cause. Sleep disorders such as obstructive apnea and narcolepsy are heavily underdiagnosed -- people who nap to cope with chronic sleep debt may suffer health issues due to sleep deprivation (which has been proven to contribute to heart disease, depression, and obesity), rather than suffering health issues BECAUSE of the napping. If you're dozing off during something you're actually interested in, it's time to see a sleep doctor.