National Napping Day

On March 15, you can celebrate a good rest as a nod to National Napping Day. As children, we all took naps. It was scheduled as part of your activities during the day.

In a way, National Napping Day celebrates the child in all of us. The ability to close your eyes for even 15 minutes can have a rejuvenating effect. A good nap is like a fine wine; it gets better with age.

FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about National Napping Day.

When is National Napping Day?

National Napping Day is celebrated every year on the day after Daylight Savings Time ends.

How do I celebrate National Napping Day?

Well, you could go take a nap, or you could get some friends together and have a grown-up “nap time.” Maybe even serve wine and cheese. But keep it simple the whole concept is to celebrate the nap.

If you do an adult nap time party, be sure to come up with a relaxing playlist that helps the nappers stay asleep. Rock and Roll do not play well with others at nap time. Soothing music makes it easier to fall asleep and helps the brain relax.

Create a Latin theme and have a siesta. In Spain, Portugal, and Latin American countries, a siesta is a midday nap. Workers and citizens would take a siesta during the hottest part of the day. Throw in some Margaritas and chips with salsa, and you have a festive slumber.

Napping dates to the ancient Romans, so maybe a nap time toga party is in order? The least you could do is get rid of some annoying modern conveniences like turning off your cell phone.

Who created National Napping Day?

In 1999, a Boston University professor named William Anthony teamed with his wife Camile to create the unofficial holiday. The concept is to slow down our busy lives for a short period of time and enjoy relaxing.

The date was chosen because when we Spring Ahead for Daylight Savings time, people can feel grumpy and sleepy, and out of sorts. Having a day that revels in a little extra sleep is a good thing.

It gives us an excuse to take what many consider a luxury – a nap. Naps were even prescribed by doctors in the 1800s as another way to fight fatigue and disease. So, thank you to Mr. and Mrs. William Anthony for giving us a legitimate reason to take a nap.

What are the positive effects of naps?

Napping has a lot of positive health effects. Taking a 20-to-30-minute nap can improve focus and awareness, decrease stress, improve brain function, and helps your heart stay healthy.

Napping can even improve your outlook on life. Companies are beginning to recognize this and creating nap rooms and designated times of the day when people are encouraged to take a nap.

Generally, 2:00 PM or 3:00 PM are considered the best time to take a nap. One key is not to nap for too long. If you fall asleep for 60 to 90 minutes, you can go into REM sleep and dream. You will wake up groggy, and that negates the benefits of a nap.

You may want to take a nap every day. But it is recommended that you only nap two or three times per week. If you want or feel you need more rest, it may be a sign you are sleep deprived or have a health issue.

Who are some famous people who were nappers?

The list of famous people who loved to take naps is surprising and diverse. Here are ten committed nappers:

Albert Einstein – It is true that Einstein was a great thinker. But to fuel that potent brain, Einstein needed sleep. He tried to get 10 hours of sleep per night and take several short naps during the day. He was always napping, sitting up in an armchair.

Leonardo Da Vinci – A man full of energy, Da Vinci only slept two hours per night. He would then take a series of ten-to-fifteen-minute naps throughout the day. Da Vinci thought that sleeping for more extended periods was a waste of time.

Thomas Edison – Like Da Vinci, Edison did not believe in sleep and only slept three to four hours per night. That didn’t prevent him from taking short power naps. He felt these naps helped him be creative and fill his mind with ideas.

Ronald Reagan – Although his wife Nancy tried to deny it, Reagan took frequent naps, sometimes even falling asleep during meetings. Nancy did not want the president to appear lazy. But for President Reagan, the naps refreshed and reinvigorated.

John F. Kennedy – Here’s another president who enjoyed his naps. Kennedy had trouble sleeping at night, and his workdays were typically twelve hours long. He would take a nap, usually with Jackie, for an hour or two at midday.

Notable Nappers

Margaret Thatcher – The British Prime Minister was a stern ruler who survived on just three or four hours of sleep per night. To help regain some of that, she would take a one-hour nap in the afternoon.

Salvador Dali – The abstract painter is credited with coming up with a system to take truly short naps. He believed these naps were crucial to his creativity. Salvadore Dali would sleep upright in a chair. He would place a heavy metal key in one hand. Below that hand, on the floor, he put a metal tray. When he fell asleep, the key would drop, and the noise would wake him.

Eleanor Roosevelt – Wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the first lady, enjoyed taking naps. Specifically, she would take a short nap before giving a speech. She felt the rest was a way to energize her and help her deliver a stirring speech.

Arnold Schwartzenegger – Training as a bodybuilder takes a lot of energy. So, Schwartzenegger would work out vigorously for two hours and then take a brief nap break. He napped while he was in office as the Governor of California. And he would sleep in his trailer on movie shoots.

Muhammad Ali – When training for a fight, Ali routinely woke at 4:00 AM to go for a run. After the run, he would sit down for a large breakfast, watch a movie, and take a nap. He did not begin working out in the afternoon until after his rest.

Famous Nap Quotes

I usually take a two-hour nap from one to four.
Yogi Berra

No day is so bad that it can’t be fixed with a nap.
Carrie Snow

A napper lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never naps live only one.
George R.R. Martin

I don’t feel old. I don’t feel anything till noon. That’s when it’s time for my nap.
Bob Hope

Always nap when you can. It is cheap medicine.
Lord Byron

The replenishing thing that comes with a nap – you end up with two mornings in a day.
Pete Hamill

Naps are nature’s hugs.
Ciro Nieli

The nap is mightier than the sword.
Edward Bulwer Lytton

Play well. Nap well. Live well.
Andy Atticus

A power nap is when you sleep on someone who’s weaker than you.
Demetri Martin

Jokes about Napping

Did you hear about John who was thrown into jail for refusing to take a nap?
Yes, he was resisting a rest.

Don’t be demoralized by napping ghosts.
Hope you can keep your spirits up.

What do you call Barbie’s husband after he takes a nap?
A woke Ken.

I witnessed a kidnapping today.
I let him sleep because he needs his rest.

What do you call a male cow who is taking a nap?
A bulldozer.

Napping Captions for Instagram

Naptime is my happy hour.

Sometimes you need a nap.

When all else fails, take a nap.

When the going gets tough, the tough take a nap.

It’s easy, curl up on the couch and close your eyes.

Keep calm and take a nap.

Let’s begin by taking a smallish nap or two.

When life knocks you down, stay down, and take a nap.

A nap a day keeps the doctor away.

Nothing comes between me and my nap.

Naps can be fun.

Life is just a series of obstacles preventing you from taking a nap.

I got an “A” in naptime.

All napped out.

No nap makes me crabby.

Short sleep can be a good sleep.

Don’t judge me because I nap.

Hashtags for Napping and Nappers

Use these hashtags when you are posting pictures or sending tweets:

#yousnoozeyouloose

#zzzzzzzzz

#naptime

#nationalnappingday

#napsarefine

#shortsleeper

Hope you enjoyed this read, and now it’s time to take a short rest.

Etcetera

You’re on our National Napping Day page.