The perils of power napping

I’ve been really dragging a few times in the last couple weeks, so I’ve tried out the whole “power nap” thing on my lunch break. I only have a half hour, so there’s no way I could sleep more than 30 minutes, which I believe is a stipulation for such a nap (usually 20-30 minutes). Mind you, I don’t have much luck with naps in the first place…I am a really bad sleeper, so if I take a nap at all during the day I will NOT sleep that night (even a few minutes). Also, it usually takes me so long to fall asleep (hours) every night that naps are just comical – there’s no way my body will even begin to think about getting to the point of being able to fall asleep in 30 minutes. But others herald the benefits of short naps, and everything I've read swears that if it's no longer than 20-30 minutes, it won't affect your sleeping that night. (Yeah right.)

Last week, my first attempt, I had not slept AT ALL the previous night, lying awake until at least 3 am and waking up at 5 and being unable to fall asleep again. I was hurting…so I tried to nap. I was so tired, falling asleep on my desk all day, but the moment I laid down I was…not wide awake, but not sleepy enough…? I laid there for 30 full minutes, awake. It did not help me through the rest of my day to save my life. I have better luck falling asleep while typing a blog or driving. Plus my neck was sore for the rest of the day. Power naps are a cruel joke, I thought, nodding off later with my cheek on my desk.

Today I was a little sleepy so I thought I’d try again. Went to the leather couch in the high school room this time (this might be my new hiding place for breaks!). I even brought reading material so as to coax my eyelids into getting heavy and maybe I’d fall asleep. Fast forward 45 minutes. I’m back at my desk. I am so groggy, I have a headache, and I had some weird dreams in my half-sleep that never allowed me to actually get to the bona-fide napping place. I staggered back to my desk when my cell phone alarm went off (after pushing snooze once) and stared at my computer in a daze for about ten minutes until the phone rang and I answered it somewhat audibly.

“Power napping” is a joke!!! By the way so is Tylenol pm, benadryl, and melatonin. Those things do nothing for me.