number two- napping at inappropriate times of day

i probably should just dedicate this to my bed, but that's just too much of a give away. and plus, i'm not picky about the beds i nap in. my favorite bed isn't even mine. so instead, i shall write about my tendency for napping. but still, let me tell you about my bed for a quick second so you can step inside my world.

my bed is a hand-me-down from my honorary sister sara. it's my first big kid bed, and now when i go to my parent's and stay the night sleeping on that good ol' twin stresses me out. i have a thing for sleeping diagonally, taking up as much space as a person of my stature can. i suppose this happens because i'm so used to sleeping solo, and why i feel so constrained when sleeping avec un homme. my bed is never made. because what's the point of making a bed? my bed doesn't need to get fancy, i like it just the way it is.

the only thing about my bed which isn't amazing is how loud it is. it's squeek is legendary and can be heard from across town. it's like it is yelling at me for laying on it. if my bed could talk i'm sure it would complain as it is MY bed and has grown accustomed to hearing me at all hours of the day and night on the phone complaining to Gabe. i try to be extra gentle to my bed for the most part so it will stop it's whining, but so far without a change. so if you hear a series of very loud squeeking around bellingham, it is probably my bed having a meltdown.

back to the real subject here- naps. the benefits of naps are irrelevant really, all that matters is how happy they make me. but since you might be curious, here are a few as outlined by about.com:

more patience

less stress

better reaction time

increased learning

more efficiency

better health

those are all good things, and for me especially my patience gets better and my stress level decreases. voila happiness! these are universal reasons to encourage napping. however my napping is different, not because of the outcome, but rather because of when i chose to nap.

most people encourage power naps. those are short bursts of sleep lasting about 30 minutes. those are wonderful. but my naps are epic. usually i consider a nap unsuccessful unless it's at least an hour. my favorite naps are the sort that last upwards of four hours. i wake up amazingly refreshed and happy with myself. however, i rarely take these naps at appropriate times of day. you'll rarely find me sleeping between noon and 5 o'clock when most normal people nap. no, i usually get incredibly tired around 7 or 8 pm and wander into my room, promising sarah i'll only be an hour, and usually wander out of my room with sleep in my eyes around midnight.

this is my favorite thing today. i am an easy woman to make happy. give me a bed, a cozy blanket, and a pillow and you've got a great way to keep me pacified. i encourage you to try taking a nap at inappropriate times of day. it may not be for you, as some people enjoy productivity, but sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered.