There is no other holiday that I think I appreciate more than the one that’s today…national napping day!

I have always been the queen of taking naps (especially cat naps), but that started to change once I got out of college and I have felt the change! Naps are essential to our development and health, but they seem to get put to the side as we tend to get older and focus more on using those hours to work.

Whether you’re in hustle culture, college, or have a family, you deserve to take a nap today and every day after.

For Relaxation

Everyone deserves a little rest and relaxation, especially if you’re an adult. Life has a personal mission to throw whatever it can at you and that is exhausting. Depending on what time you’re reading this, you’ve possibly already dealt with multiple people or problems and it’s only been a few hours since you’ve woken up. After all the things you deal with in a day, or just a morning, you deserve a little bit of relaxation and to shut your eyes for a few moments of peace.

To improve your mood

If you haven’t realized, it’s not just kids that get cranky when they miss out on their naps. Adults get just as grumpy, if not sometimes worse, when they don’t get enough sleep. If they don’t get enough sleep at night and can’t take a nap during the day, it’s a recipe for disaster. If you’re in a cranky mood today, or any other day after, take a moment and think about how many hours of sleep you received last night. If it wasn’t enough, try to take a short nap today and watch your mood improve. Even if you don’t have time for a long one, a small one could still do wonders!

To gain back lost sleep

As you know, we’ve entered daylight savings, which means we have sprung forward and lost an hour of sleep. That can affect how tired you are and your ability to function throughout the day. If you’re feeling a little more tired than usual, taking a nap can help bring back the sleep that you recently lost and get your body back on track.

To increase alertness

It’s pretty hard to focus on anything you have to do when you’re sleepy. Think about when you’ve taken medication that causes drowsiness…you wouldn’t try to drive, cook, or do any work. It can be dangerous because you’re not as alert. If you feel yourself getting out of it, taking a nap can (coincidentally) wake you up and have you ready to handle your business!

To prevent burnout

Burnout is just as exhausting and stressful as the thing that caused the burnout. As someone who has experienced it, it makes it hard to think or do anything that needs to be done. When you experience burnout, your brain is basically fried and you’re worn out. When burnout occurs, taking a nap is the best thing to do because your brain needs that rest. You might’ve put a little too much on your plate and it’s time to release it for a moment.

---

There really is no explanation needed for why naps are essential, but us adults tend to put naps on the back burner or we just don’t have the time. If you don’t typically get to nap as much as you like, use today as your excuse to shut out the world for a moment and get the rest you deserve!

Do you like to take naps? What reason would you add to the list for why you should? Let me know in the comments!