Naps, those wonderful short sleeps that we catch when we can, are one of the best things in life. A nap is different than a regular night’s sleep; it has its own personality. When we go to sleep at night to get our eight hours, there is nothing special about it. We expect that we will wake up in the morning refreshed and ready for a new day. Sometimes it works. A nap, on the other hand, happens when it happens. It could be a ten minute break at lunchtime when we find ourselves nodding off, or it could be a grand three and a half hour nap in the afternoon on a rainy Sunday. We don’t plan naps usually, and we normally don’t take a nap every day. But, that’s one of the beauties of a nap; it is usually spontaneous. It occurs when we need it most and it is always satisfying.

There are many reasons for naps, though most folks don’t stop to analyze why they are napping. First, we may not have had sufficient sleep during the night; we are tired. Second, we might be avoiding something unpleasant, like a test at school or a tough day at work. Third, it might be stress that has accumulated and that has overwhelmed our immune system.

The immune system is a wonderful defense mechanism that keeps us safe and healthy. But, just like all systems in Nature, it needs to be maintained to be operating at its peak potential. There’s no fooling around when the immune system is worn down – we could get mortally ill. One of the things that keeps the immune system going is regular rest and recuperation. People usually don’t consciously take care of their immune system, they just ignore it and assume that it will just take care of itself. The body, in its wisdom, will take care of itself if we give it what it needs to do the job. It needs adequate nutrition, a modicum of exercise, and the management of the stresses that assault us daily. One of the ways that the body deals with stress is to sleep. Naps are one of the best ways to get this sleep and relaxation. When we sleep (nap) we take away the stresses that are bombarding us at the time. In addition, during the sleep, our mind has the opportunity to work on whatever problem may be plaguing us. When the problem is addressed, we wake up refreshed and ready to resume our normal day’s activities.

Without regular sleep and periodic naps our body and mind would not function well. In point of fact, many sleep deprivation studies have shown that lack of quality sleep can lead to irritability and erratic behavior. In the extreme, lack of sleep can lead to a type of psychosis, wherein the person can become delusional. Fortunately, our body will shut down when things get to an extreme. It would be very wise to pay more attention to our sleep habits to assure that we are getting enough quality sleep at night and that we stay aware of when the body is telling us, in the day time, that we need to stop for a short (or lengthy) nap. Our sanity, and maybe our life, may depend upon it.