Hnappian or Nafzen, either way, it means nap!

I mentioned in an earlier blog post about our cat Revlon being diagnosed with diabetes. The net result of her prescribed medication is improved health and altered sleep patterns for Linda and me. Insulin injections 12 hours apart, basically 7 am and 7 pm and middle of the night feedings mean the rooster’s call is less welcome.

This, an objection coming from an early riser, (me), is mixed with deep pet devotion. Fortune would have it that both Linda and I are artists working from home and at a point in our lives when we can repay our pet for the goodness she has brought us.

So, while things are going along fine, our marital discussions have turned to now include a cute little word that sounds more like a snack than a short spell of sleep! That word is nap. With the Old English and German words found in this blog post’s title, dictionaries say, origin unknown. Possibly the word nap was derived from napkin which was needed to wipe your face after you fell asleep in your soup!

In any event, I think American culture has made naps out to be a bad thing. Something old people do and younger ones are left feeling guilty about. Even when they have a possession taken from them, as in being robbed of their sleep. The truth seems to be though, that naps are not only not a bad thing, they are a good thing for the creative mind with Dr. Sara C. Mednick stating in her book - Take a Nap! Change your life, that a nap with more REM, (rapid eye movement), sleep inspires creativity and heightens perception. Well, what artist couldn’t use more of that? She goes on to point out that naps with Stage 2 sleep - increase alertness and motor skills, and that naps with Slow-wave sleep - improve memory and clears the mind. Oh, happy day!

I must admit, the only naps I consciously take (tee-hee) are the ones where not to do so would result in only seeing the backs of my eyelids anyway. But I must admit, a 15-minute nap can put a spring back in my step. I will declare though, much longer and a slow-motion funk comes on that seems to make things worse.

The most important thing I think to be said here is that sleep is not only necessary, but the lack of it also is unhealthy, and if a nap can maintain your health and have the added benefit of helping the creative mind, BINGO TO THAT! I’m off to take a catnap.

Read Tom's Blog every Tuesday!