Taking a nap...the right way! Managing Lupus fatigue, one nap at a time.
Somewhow, this article on how to take a nap wandered into my newsfeed today. In light of yesterday's post, I thought it was the perfect time to share.
I love how the article points out that there's an art to nap taking. I wholeheartedly agree!
In fact, we just performed an overhaul on my mom's nap a couple of days ago, and unknowingly employed many of the suggestions in the article! She's been experiencing sleep issues at night for awhile, so we both decided to try tweaking her daytime nap routine. We may still be perfecting, but so far, she had her first good night of sleep in a vey long time.
Below are a few highlights, but I encourage you to read the entire article here. Know that for those of us who have lupus-induced naps, I think the guidelines are a little looser, and that we fall into that special category referenced in the article. But give it a read, and let me know what you think!
Top Takeaways from the article:
1) Finish up whatever afternoon rest you take by 3pm.
2) Keep the nap short.
As mentioned, chronic illness folks get some leeway on this, but I've found that keeping mine to 1.5-2 hrs is ideal. Anything over 2.5 hours does start to affect my nightly routine. If you find you aren't sleeping well at night, look to your daytime sleeping patterns.
Exception: When I am in a flare, anything goes. I can sleep ALL day, and still need 12 hour at night. Do what works for you!
3) Block out the light
I have used a sleep mask for as long as I can remember. It is magical, and completely transforms the napping experience.
4) Enjoy your nap.
Don't feel guilty. Don't apologize. You know what you need, so just take the nap, and enjoy it.
Here's a final link to the napping article, but if you need more motivation to nap during the day, you can read all my blog references to napping here. Enjoy!
I love how the article points out that there's an art to nap taking. I wholeheartedly agree!
In fact, we just performed an overhaul on my mom's nap a couple of days ago, and unknowingly employed many of the suggestions in the article! She's been experiencing sleep issues at night for awhile, so we both decided to try tweaking her daytime nap routine. We may still be perfecting, but so far, she had her first good night of sleep in a vey long time.
Below are a few highlights, but I encourage you to read the entire article here. Know that for those of us who have lupus-induced naps, I think the guidelines are a little looser, and that we fall into that special category referenced in the article. But give it a read, and let me know what you think!
Top Takeaways from the article:
1) Finish up whatever afternoon rest you take by 3pm.
2) Keep the nap short.
As mentioned, chronic illness folks get some leeway on this, but I've found that keeping mine to 1.5-2 hrs is ideal. Anything over 2.5 hours does start to affect my nightly routine. If you find you aren't sleeping well at night, look to your daytime sleeping patterns.
Exception: When I am in a flare, anything goes. I can sleep ALL day, and still need 12 hour at night. Do what works for you!
3) Block out the light
I have used a sleep mask for as long as I can remember. It is magical, and completely transforms the napping experience.
4) Enjoy your nap.
Don't feel guilty. Don't apologize. You know what you need, so just take the nap, and enjoy it.
Here's a final link to the napping article, but if you need more motivation to nap during the day, you can read all my blog references to napping here. Enjoy!
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