Naps: A Love/Hate Relationship

[Knotical]

So, recently I started a paper route where I need to get up at 1 in the morning and deliver them all by 6 am. I also have a full time job during the day. Needless to say sleep is at a premium, so you would think naps would be a good idea. Well, yes and no. Sure, they provide a little bit of extra rest from the 4-5 hours I normally get now, but they can be rather disorienting.

Literally, every time I wake up from a nap it takes a bit of time to realize what is going on around me. Case in point, it takes a few minutes of looking at a clock to even realize what I am looking at, much less understand what it is telling me.

One time I was watching a football game and fell asleep in a chair in the living room. I slept through the entire second quarter and woke up in time for the beginning of the 2nd half to start. I looked at the score and could not decipher it. I thought the opposing team had scored 68 points in one quarter (which is pretty much impossible). After a while I realized I wasn't looking at it right, and what I was seeing was just the abvreviation of one of the team's names (GreenBay).

Anyone else experience this kind of thing, or am I slowly going insane?

 

[for_his_glory]

Nope, sorry. You are going insane ed! Just kidding. On the rare chance I doze off I do wake up somewhat disillusioned of my surroundings, especially when I fall asleep during the daylight and wake up in total darkness with only the TV giving the room light. I am retired, but sometimes when I wake up I feel like I'm late for work. It's amazing how the mind works and what our subconscious can come up with at times and with my mind it can be a scary place, or at least that's whay hubby says, :toofunny.

 

[514]

I dislike naps, normally feel worse when I wake up then before.

 

[Knotical]

Nope, sorry. You are going insane ed! Just kidding. On the rare chance I doze off I do wake up somewhat disillusioned of my surroundings, especially when I fall asleep during the daylight and wake up in total darkness with only the TV giving the room light. I am retired, but sometimes when I wake up I feel like I'm late for work. It's amazing how the mind works and what our subconscious can come up with at times and with my mind it can be a scary place, or at least that's whay hubby says, :toofunny.

That reminds me

[csb]

Back in highschool I helped chaperone a lock-in at my brother's school. Stayed up all night and when I got home the next morning I crashed around 9am, obviously a couple hours after the sun had come up. I woke up around 5pm as the sun was going down. I thought I had slept until the following day. :eeeekkk

Also, while I was asleep my girlfriend, at the time, called me. Instead of my sister saying that I was asleep she decides to give me the phone. So apparently I had a brief, incoherant, conversation with my girlfried, which culminated in her says, "go back to sleep." As if I ever woke up.

Don't remember the phone call at all.

[/csb]

 

[evenifigoalone]

I haven't experienced anything like that, although if someone else wakes me up my thinking is a little loopy for a minute or two.
I prefer not to take naps because I tend to oversleep.

 

[Free]

Literally, every time I wake up from a nap it takes a bit of time to realize what is going on around me. Case in point, it takes a few minutes of looking at a clock to even realize what I am looking at, much less understand what it is telling me.

That is me, except that I always get a bad headache as well, so I never nap anymore. I hate to but I take as much caffeine as necessary to stay awake until bedtime.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

A ten minute power nap can do wonders...even sitting up in a chair (with your mouth hanging wide open if you're over 40).

Any longer than that and you've pretty much ruined the next two or three hours after you wake up.


Knot, Romney needs your story. The economy is so bad you can't tell football scores anymore. (I presume you've taken the second job for $$ and not just because you needed something to do).

 

[Bfnaught]

A ten minute power nap can do wonders...even sitting up in a chair

I'm gonna need you to explain this to my boss.

 

[Knotical]

A ten minute power nap can do wonders...even sitting up in a chair (with your mouth hanging wide open if you're over 40).

Any longer than that and you've pretty much ruined the next two or three hours after you wake up.


Knot, Romney needs your story. The economy is so bad you can't tell football scores anymore. (I presume you've taken the second job for $$ and not just because you needed something to do).

Coincidentally I have started taking some small naps in the employee lounge. It has actually helped a bit this morning. I may have to do this between getting back from the route and heading to my day job. I literally, briefly, passed out while driving this morning. Suffice it to say I was wide awake for about an hour after that. :eeeekkk

Yup, I picked up the route for the extra money. My day job leaves us with a $600-$900 deficit in our budget each month. Of course if we were the government we would just print some more money to cover our bills. ;)

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Of course if we were the government we would just print some more money to cover our bills. ;)

Or, explain to your closest rich neighbor that you will be imposing a payroll deduct on him to pay for your short fall.

 

[Knotical]

I have also thought about drinking energy drinks, but I am a little apprehensive. First, because they are so darn expensive.

8 oz Redbulls are $2:50 each!

I used to work for a company that made them with all natural ingredients, but I think I drank one too many and cause a bit of a panic attack, or something similar.

Anyone have any good experiences with energy drinks?

 

[handy]

A ten minute power nap can do wonders...even sitting up in a chair (with your mouth hanging wide open if you're over 40).

Any longer than that and you've pretty much ruined the next two or three hours after you wake up.

Yes, power naps are the ticket. I tend to get very little sleep at night as well and find that if I take a short 10-15 minute nap, I awake refreshed and energized... anything longer than 30 minutes and I feel as though I've been drugged.

Plus, if I sleep too long, I'll get those crazy daytime dreams...:crazy

Knotical, if you're passing out during driving :o you might want to work in a short power nap then some kind of coffee or caffeinated beverage. I'm sure we can all understand you wanting to contribute extra to the family's finances, but your family being able to cash in the life insurance policy probably isn't the answer!

 

[farouk]

...also depends how old the person is...

 

[Free]

I have also thought about drinking energy drinks, but I am a little apprehensive. First, because they are so darn expensive.

8 oz Redbulls are $2:50 each!

I used to work for a company that made them with all natural ingredients, but I think I drank one too many and cause a bit of a panic attack, or something similar.

Anyone have any good experiences with energy drinks?

I used to do a lot of energy drinks while in school several years ago to get through several all-nighters and then continued with them when I got a job. I love their unique taste and ability to get me going but I have only had a couple in the last few years because of the stuff they put in them. It's an unregulated industry and you really don't know what you're getting. I found them to be very addictive and often loaded with either calories or aspartame.

Having said that, if that was my only choice before driving home while exhausted (as handy mentioned), I wouldn't hesitate to have an energy drink. They shouldn't do too much harm when used sparingly but that depends on one's physical condition, age, etc., to echo what has been said.

Monster Drink and Beaver Buzz were my favorites. Much stronger than Redbull. Now it's just coffee (I keep Nescafe on my desk lol), the odd pop (soda for those of you who insist on calling it that ;) ), and 100mg caffeine tablets when needed, often bitten in half.