I wonder if this is related to my age, or if there are some other factors, but my ability to take power naps has changed. I used to be able to lie down for a quick nap, and set an alarm for 15-20, maybe 25 minutes. When my alarm went off, I could just pop up and continue with my day, feeling fully refreshed.
Now, 25-30 minutes never seems like it’s enough. If I set an alarm for a power nap these days, the alarm because an annoying interruption, before going back to sleep again… and if I do force myself to get up, I certainly don’t feel refreshed.
I also find that I need a bit more sleep at night too. That’s not very surprising because I used to need only 5-6 hours sleep, and it’s probably good that I get a bit more than that as a norm. Still, I miss my power naps. I miss that feeling like I’ve supercharged myself in a short burst, preparing myself to tackle the day with a full battery.
I think I’m going to experiment a bit in the coming weekends (and occasional evenings) and see if I can’t do a sort of a reset… Maybe I’ve just gotten used to needing more time because I have given myself permission to take more time. I’m going to set my alarm for 20 minutes when I nap and stick to that time. Any longer and it’s not a power nap, it’s just an old guy snoring on the couch. 🤣
I think it should be called the Covid catch-up syndrome. A lot of educators have been inflicted with it these last two school years.
You know, I never put these two things together… an excellent point. Perhaps I will see a return to my power naps being shorter when the stresses of the pandemic diminish. Insightful! Thanks you for commenting.