Napping makes me feel good… and overworked… and old

At first I thought I wasn’t getting enough sleep at night. Then I thought I was overworked and not taking enough time for myself. Then I thought I was getting old. Then I realized it’s all of those things.

I am 40 years old. Like many entrepreneurs I often burn the candle at both ends — a candle I work day and night to be able to afford and enjoy.‎ Many of my days start before the sun rises and they end, well, technically when it’s already tomorrow.

Earlier this year I noticed that on weekends (when I traditionally don’t work but media is a weird game so you can never be sure) I was nodding off on the couch. It was the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday and my eyelids felt heavy and before I knew it I was out for a couple of hours. Then it happened on Sunday, and then the next Saturday, and then the next Sunday.

I’d wake up refreshed and ready to go, while other times I stayed on the couch and called it a day. Yes, I would sleep for a total of 12 hours or more.

The first couple of times it didn’t concern me because I did some quick math in my head. If experts say we should be getting seven or eight hours of sleep every night (depending on who releases a study that month) I added up how many total hours I missed throughout the week and it almost balanced out.

OK, so my total sleep time was normal. Great. I am not falling into a depression and becoming anti-social. I’m just tired. My body needs the rest.

Is it necessary to justify naps though? Am I finally coming to terms with age and accepting that I’m not as young as I used to be?

Remember the days of staying up all night and not wanting to go to bed? When Mom and Dad said to shut off the TV and go to bed, remember putting up a fight and trying to stay up? Remember those nights of clubbing and getting home when the sun comes up and functioning just fine the next day? Yeah, I do, too. Seems crazy now, doesn’t it?

Last weekend my friend said he was going to a movie and it started at 11 p.m. He asked if I wanted to go. I laughed and said I’d already be sleeping by then. And to get home at 2 a.m.? That was even more laughable.

Yes, during a nice summer day most people are out and about enjoying the sunshine and being productive. Chances are I will be fast asleep on the couch for part of the day catching up on some Zzzzs. And if all goes well, I will wake up briefly before calling it a day and sleeping through to morning.

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