Nap On It! - Femina - Indiatimes

It's a mad scramble. Wrestling with work, squeezing out measured quality time together, completing the home chores, planning outings for kids, monitoring their progress at school... In moments of sheer fatigue, the idea of even planning Operation Getaway sounds tiring.

And the thought of burrowing deep into your cosy bed appears more tantalising than erotic sex.

Visions of tempting, soft fluffy pillows and the comfortable mattress form your mirage while your work avalanche threatens to bury you.

That's when you know you desperately need a siesta. A woman lives in a state of self-denial. And it has nothing to do with celibacy. You are expected to be Superwoman, so you must behave like one. And never falter.

Banish the thought.

It's About Loving Yourself

Even Superwoman makes time for a swift manicure, a quick SMS and a speedy shower. So why not for the simple luxury of a relaxing siesta? Forty winks can work remarkable wonders, apart from easing out those ghoulish dark circles from under your eyes. Ignore sarcastic barbs that sleeping is a waste of time. The reality is that many a time, you feel sleepy even when you have rested for eight hours at night. That happens when the mind and spirit wander persistently while physically, the limbs protest. 'To do' lists, apprehensions and fears muscle their way into your dreams that slowly merge into a forgettable mesh once you arise. But you still feel tired and the thought of taking a nap later gives birth to guilt pangs.

Remember that the time to relax is when you have no time to relax. There is no joy in living bleary eyed and drifting along with the ticking hands of the clock. Too much yawning blurs the vision anyway. You have a right to nap. To recover from life. And age has nothing to do with it. Simple things like driving a car and helping your child detangle a puzzling rider in mathematics require energy. Instead of expelling a philosophical sigh and mourning about the rigours of a hectic life, prise off your shoes and put up your feet. Even if it is for 15 minutes, when you lean back in your swivel chair at work and think of nothing. Not even of the importance of rest. You bet that quiet nap will help you function better.

A midday break is what our bodies demand every day and that's what a siesta embodies. Languishing limbs in art history have pictorially represented this momentary rest period when the cells in your being relax while you recharge your physical and intellectual energies.

So are you drowsy in daylight? Choose to be a napper, not a snapper. Unless you want to pay for a shrink, through your teeth, and get him to tell you to grab a rest during the course of the day.

You just cannot underestimate the power of an uninterrupted 20-minute nap at work in your current realm of sleep deprivation. Tell frowning employers that employee fatigue spells lower productivity for the company.

Muffle The Mommy Madness

Hassled moms of the world unite. Don't be nasty when you are tired. Only you can help yourself by taking time out to rest. Make it a point to take a weekend off, at least once in three weeks, if only catch up on your sleep. Ensure that this is truly your 'Me time'. Plan your kids' itinerary in such a way that you manage to secure a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. If you don't get a chance to snooze at home owing to persistent phone calls, irritating doorbells and the whiny intercom, leave early to pick your kids up from school. Park in a shaded area and catch a quick nap.

Hit The Snooze Button

Tired of trying to fall sleep when you are exhausted? Try this. Exercise regularly - even if it's just a brisk walk to the bus stop or climbing a few floors to reach home. Keep beverage consumption to the minimum. Curtail glugging endless cups of even herbal tea and steaming coffee while hammering away at your PC. Caffeine curbs sleep and paves the way for dull headaches later.

And relax. The cells in your bone marrow need that.

So decide to press your snooze button and give stress a vacation. Here's to a cheerful, well-rested you!

Get, Set, Sleep

In the US, the National Sleep Foundation computes cost of employee fatigue at USD 18 billion per year.

Ways to work in some sleep

▪ Regularise the habit of taking a short nap in the afternoon - even if it's just a matter of putting your head down on your desk at lunchtime.

▪ Ensure that you make time for yourself. No one else can or will.

▪ Resort, if need be, to the desperate recourse of catching a quick snooze in the car - in the car park and stationary, of course.

▪ Don't be apologetic about napping.

▪ Heed your body's signals. Drop all work to relax unless you want the doctor to call upon you.