😴 The Art of the Afternoon Nap

Letter 183 on napping and my October reflections

If you are new here or missed last week's edition, you can catch up on the past letters here. If you are reading this for the first time, I’d love you to sign up below to join the other learn-it-alls:

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Howdy fellow learn-it-all,

Greetings from Austin, Texas 🤠

I’ve been here for all of 48 hours and loving it. Unlike my usual in Hawaii, I check the weather app every few hours to see whether I need a coat. This is my second time ever visiting since 2019, but it feels like a first time all over again. This is so exciting!

I already dipped into Barton Springs and met up with two Internet friends! More on that at the bottom 🙂

Now, let’s dive into letter 183 from a learn-it-all. Enjoy!

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❓Question to think about

Why take naps?

🖊️Writing

I’m solar-powered. 

Since moving to Hawaii over two years ago, I gave up my alarm clock to wake up with the sun. I used to think that meant I never needed more sleep….

Then I heard neuroscientist and podcaster Andrew Huberman pique my interest, "A 10-20 min nap or non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) have been shown to replenish physical energy and increase cognitive function. NSDR, however, also increases striatal dopamine and improves one’s self-directed relaxation ability, improving sleep.” I’d always been curious about being more religious with my naps. I was sold. 

Since I like to try new habits each month for funzies, I decided to nap every day in October. 

This habit was easier than running 100 miles and A LOT easier than taking daily cold showers in January in Chicago. 

Sometimes, I didn’t fall asleep during my naps, but that’s okay. Getting horizontal reversed the hunch in my back. Napping gave my mind a mini-vacation during the day. The siesta served as a point to check in with myself. Sometimes, it was just for 10 minutes, and I would have a vivid scene play out of skiing with cows.  It gave my mind intentional space to imagine and wander away from reality to return feeling refreshed.

Before quitting coffee in 2021, I thought an afternoon coffee would be a more productive pick-me-up than napping. Wrongo. Breaking news: caffeine doesn’t give you energy; it makes you less tired. Dr. Ramkissoon shared that “Caffeine works by blocking sleep-promoting receptors in your brain called adenosine receptors…It can do this because, structurally, caffeine looks very similar to adenosine, the molecule that usually binds to these receptors.” In other words, drinking a cup of joe suppresses the desire to sleep by tricking receptors into thinking you don’t need sleep. 

Sleep is such an odd phenomenon, but there is no denying it is a primal need. When I first heard about the “sleepless elite” allegedly only needing 4 hours of sleep a night, I began to trust humanity even less. What big fat liars! Sure, there are life hacks out there up the wazoo, but skimping on the time that allows for maximum cognitive function? No thank you.

There is no cheat code to it. I sandwiched the habit onto my lunch break. I set a boundary around when I historically feel a drop in energy and need to fuel my body. So, instead of focusing on laying out a running outfit the night before or the temperature of a cold plunge, I put a bandanna over my eyes, got horizontal, counted some sheep, and caught some Zs.

✨ The napping magic

I am more aware of my energy levels throughout the day. I feel natural. Like a catamaran sailboat cruising across the horizon of Waikiki at sunset, with my naps, I feel like I have a steady stream of power throughout the day.

One of my role models is religious about taking naps: my dad. Over the past 36 years at his dental office, his team accepted his afternoon ritual. For lunch, he goes across the street to eat at Einstein’s or Panera Bread, checks on the stock market, and brews some tea while taking an 18-minute nap. In a way, his behavior has permitted me to take my naps. 

Whether your dad takes naps or not, I invite you to channel your inner sleeping beauty. 

Take a nap. You won’t regret it.

🤔 Reflecting

Continuing on my ritual of my “In and Out” lists this year, here’s mine for November:

🎉 Six things I’m celebrating from October

1. Starting to dance hula weekly

2. Learning to shave ice at Uncle Clay’s House of Pure Aloha

3. Joining the University of Hawaii Swim Club

4. Resting and not running for a month

5. Public speaking for the first time in over a year

6. Attempting to face my fear of donating blood (despite being rejected)

More on my monthly reflection here.

🔍Word to define

Nap: sleep lightly or briefly, especially during the day

Etymology

"have a short sleep," Middle English nappen, from Old English hnappian (Mercian hneappian) "to doze, slumber, sleep lightly," a word of unknown origin, apparently related to Old High German hnaffezan, German dialectal nafzen, Norwegian napp. In Middle English also "be sleepy, be inattentive or careless." (source: etymology online)

🌟Quote to inspire

“If you get tired, learn to rest, not to quit.” — Banksy

📸Photo of the Week

Oh, what a great time it is to be alive. Asian fusion and egg rolls, Topo Chico and finally, meeting Internet Friends in person.

I first connected with Ellen Fishbein in 2021 over a similar passion and commitment to writing. We stayed in touch, and after I received her Spacefaring poetry collection last year, it prompted me to reach out at the end of last year to learn how to write poetry better… then we launched Rhythm, Rhyme, Repeat in this past spring and we’re in talks of doing something together again in the new year. Stay tuned, my friends :)

Check out what she’s up to with small, beautiful books at her publishing company Altamira!

🙏Shoutouts

• To all who contributed to the creation of this piece, including Ellen Fishbein,

  Tommy Dixon
  , Morgan Kitzmiller, and
  Anna Archakova

• To

  Siesta in the Storm
  who continuously supports nap-taking!

• To Alivia Duran for hosting me in her lovely home!

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I appreciate you reading this!

If ideas resonate, I’d love you to press the heart button, leave a comment, reply to this email, or reach me at vermetjl@gmail.com. If you forget who I am, I welcome you to my online home.

Never stop learning 😁

Mahalo 🌺

Jen

Ps - in case you missed any letters this past month, I wrote about:

1. a journey to intentional living without social media

2. what it’s like taking off a mask for Halloween

3. how a blank slate creates a bold life

4. mystical musings under the Milky Way

5. to stop yucking your yum

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