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2003-05-31 - 6:16 p.m.

THE ART OF THE NAP

A nap, well done, is delicious. A nap, badly done, is a fuzzy black hole from which no return is possible, at least for the day. Yes, indeed, napping is an art�and I need more practice to perfect it.

First, timing counts. A nap too close to waking does little good. A nap too close to bedtime just perpetuates the fatigue the next day by throwing the entire sleep cycle off. A nap when too far in the throngs of over-tiredness takes too much work because relaxing then requires so much work. A nap in mid-to-late afternoon when just tired enough is just right.

Next, length counts. Long naps feel lovely but the body never recovers. A long nap, even after a long, luxurious wake-up, lingers throughout the day. The body moves but the mind remains fuzzy. Orange juice may help jumpstart the mind a bit but the mind never gets out of low gear. Besides, long nap can perpetuate the fatigue by throwing the sleep cycle off again.

The perfect nap takes thirty minutes. For me, that nap can involve lying down for 45 minutes, but only because it usually takes me approximately fifteen minutes to fall asleep�and longer if I am very, very tired. Thirty minutes is not enough time to fall into the great depths of sleep so the arousal is not as difficult. Thirty minutes adds energy to the body without stealing it from the mind. Thirty minutes is not so much time that any fight the girls have in my absence can get too out of hand�in my dreams if no where else.

Finally, one must consider the location. A bed, of course, is ideal. One�s own bed is an even better setting. The room should have some light in it. A dark room fools the body into believing that night has fallen and sleep should continue for a long time.

Yes, napping is a fine art. Stay tuned for next time when we discuss........the yawn.

LAST YEAR: Perception Versus Truth

TWO YEARS AGO: Don�t You Dare!

The Go-Go Girl is Gone-Gone
Phoning It In
Creativity
Laundering Money
Ashes, Ashes, All Fall Down

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