On Napping

When I was in kindergarten, we had nap time...you know way back when there was full day kindergarten? I remember laying on my beach towel with the lights off, absolutely not napping. Then in first grade, I wished we had nap time!
The truth is I love sleep, but I hate napping. I can sleep with the best of them, and I slept many a Sunday away my freshman year of college. My experience with napping is that I never wake up feeling refreshed. I always wake up feeling groggy and dazed with a slight headache. I have tried varying the length of naps, but to no avail.
I tried taking naps when I was pregnant and feeling oh so fatigued. Still no luck feeling refreshed. I felt much better when I went to bed early and/or slept in in the morning. Of course, I knew this was a luxury I would not be afforded with a newborn.
Remember that Seinfeld episode where Kramer forgoes sleeping at night and instead sleeps every three hours? It's a lot like having a newborn, without all the free time to accomplish "stuff." (As an aside, I had a friend from college that tried out this method shortly after we graduated. It's a little difficult when the rest of the world operates on a different schedule.) This was the inspiration for Lil' D's blog "Falling In Love With Naps." I am not sure that I will ever really LOVE naps, but I do love Lil' D. Sleep deprivation (and lots of sitting on the couch to nurse) just comes with the whole package.
Oh, and people are funny! No matter what stage of life you are in, there is always "a question" that people ask. When you have been in a relationship for awhile, the question is "When are you going to get married?" When you get in engaged, the question is "When is the big day?" After you get married, the question is "When are you going to have kids?" When you get pregnant the question is "Are you going to find out the gender?" Then the question is "Have you decided on a name?" After you have a baby, the question is "Are you getting any sleep?"
I answer that question here---The definition of sleep changes after you have a baby. Some would define the sleep I often get with a newborn as "napping." Technically, I was sleeping this morning while I was listening to Lil' D grunt and stretch himself awake for 30 minutes. Yes, I do get sleep. Sometimes a little and sometimes a lot. We are blessed that our baby knows the difference between night and day, and that he sleeps for several hours at a time (sometimes 6 straight hours!). I pray that he continues to be a calm, happy baby!