Is it okay to nap in the afternoons?
senaliperera
Posts: 7
I have a habit of napping in the afternoons. Is it bad? What makes me wonder this is, I don't get any exercise. I manage my weight with my food habits and I don't really workout. I stay at home most of the time. Is it bad to sleep during daytime? Thank you!:flowerforyou:
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What do you call bad? Health wise not really. Psychologically though your a 21 year old young woman who stays at home most of the time and naps in the afternoons. Get outside walk see the world meet people and live. You have one life so use it well0
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I'm 41 with a terrible two year at home. I sometimes nap with my daughter to get her down.*** I have PCOS so if I consume too many carbs early in the day...I go down fast.
A short nap can be very refreshing but if your taking long ones (Like 3 hours or multiple cat naps) I would look into it. Can be a sign of depression wanting to sleep the day away.0 -
lucky you with nothing to do but nap on an afernoon!0
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Its not 'bad' whatever that means, but you are missing out and without being rude it sounds pretty lazy. Unless you're missing out on sleep during the night, why would you want to sleep the day away too? You're young, go out and enjoy life!0
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I love an afternoon nap. Sadly at work it would be frowned upon and considered 'bad' but I'll often have a power nap on the weekend, especially if I'm having a late night.
If you find yourself needing to nap very regularly it might be worth considering if there are specific causes - e.g. do you get enough sleep at night? Tiredness could also be a sign of anaemia or B12 deficiency so it may be worth having these things checked out but if you are otherwise healthy I can't see that it's a problem.0 -
There is nothing wrong with naps, I think they are one of life's free pleasures. I do agree with the OP though if you are sleeping well at night and still want to sleep a lot during the day you should talk to your doc about it, good luck!0
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I wish I could nap in the afternoon. Mmmmmmmmmm, sleep.0
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I think afternoon naps are bad, healthy people sleeping in the night time should not need to have a nap. If you have a kid keeping you up at night then I understand. I think your body would be better served with a good 7 hour continuous sleep and then followed by an active day.0
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some bodybuilders take a power nap in the afternoon. i can't figure out why some people feel that naps are a bad thing - it's always a good idea to sleep when you're tired. it makes it easier to work out more and to avoid unexpected snacking.
but you sound depressed, and i'm thinking that having a nap followed by a 20 minute walk when you get up would help you even more.0 -
No way, naps are awesome!0
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According to your profile and post on your other thread, you have depression, take meds for that, and are new to veganism.
All of these things can be problematic, and when you add your sedentary lifestyle to it, it only gets worse.
If you are new to veganism, you may not be getting in enough iron and essential proteins and other vitamins that your body needs.
This can cause anemia, and other deficiencies that can certainly make you tired and unmotivated to do anything other than sleep and lie around the house. Perhaps this is not the time to embrace that lifestyle right now. Get some other things fixed first, then decide if it is for you.
Make sure you are eating a good balance of proteins, healthy fats, and carbs. Are you UNDEReating? Have you cut out most protein and fats and live on sugar and processed carbs? If so, your blood sugar is all over the place, and you will feel like crap.
Inactivity is also a vicious cycle. The more you do nothing, the more you WANT to do nothing. Make yourself get up and go do something. You may not FEEL like it, but once you start doing it, you will start to feel like doing it more. My favorite saying from a wise man I know is "Feelings follow Action". Once you start living life, you will start to see that you do indeed have a life to live.
Exercise releases endorphins, which can help with depression so much.
Do you not have a job? Do you live with your parents? Do you have any friends you can go do things with?
You are 21. You have a lifetime of wonderful experiences ahead of you. GO LIVE YOUR LIFE! Do not waste it.:flowerforyou:
ETA I am not bashing the vegan lifestyle, only pointing out that many people start it without knowing what they are doing, and end up deficient in iron and other vitamins and can really screw up their bodies. Do your homework to make sure you are doing it in a healthy way!0 -
It's the hardest habit to break. EVER. I had to do it. I never felt like doing anything after I woke up so my social and school life suffered.0
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OMG...I have my "meditation" hour every lunch. I find it relaxes and refreshes me and gets me ready to work hard for the rest of the afternoon.0
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I only get 3 or 4 hours sleep each night, so I wish I could nap in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I can't get to sleep then either. Have too much work and way too much to worry about. You are lucky to be able to have the time for that.0
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yes, it is actually good to take a small nap to recharge your body0
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mmm...naps are great. If you have the leisure, go for it. You should only be sleeping for about 30-90 minutes though. Anything more and it might be something else. (Such as depression, lack of sleep at night, etc)0
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I nap at home during my lunch hour..
juts 10-20 mins though 0 -
An afternoon nap is great. Not exercising is not-so-great. Not at all. Not for your emotional health, your physical health (now and as you age)--not even good for your bones. You don't have to "exercise" --buy a chainsaw and cut firewood (one of my favorite things!), till up a garden (without a tiller!), train a dog (or a horse!), hike, wash windows for your elderly neighbor, scrub floors, mow the lawn, whatever floats your boat (oooh, get a boat and learn to ski!). Get moving!0
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According to your profile and post on your other thread, you have depression, take meds for that, and are new to veganism.
All of these things can be problematic, and when you add your sedentary lifestyle to it, it only gets worse.
If you are new to veganism, you may not be getting in enough iron and essential proteins and other vitamins that your body needs.
This can cause anemia, and other deficiencies that can certainly make you tired and unmotivated to do anything other than sleep and lie around the house. Perhaps this is not the time to embrace that lifestyle right now. Get some other things fixed first, then decide if it is for you.
Make sure you are eating a good balance of proteins, healthy fats, and carbs. Are you UNDEReating? Have you cut out most protein and fats and live on sugar and processed carbs? If so, your blood sugar is all over the place, and you will feel like crap.
Inactivity is also a vicious cycle. The more you do nothing, the more you WANT to do nothing. Make yourself get up and go do something. You may not FEEL like it, but once you start doing it, you will start to feel like doing it more. My favorite saying from a wise man I know is "Feelings follow Action". Once you start living life, you will start to see that you do indeed have a life to live.
Exercise releases endorphins, which can help with depression so much.
Do you not have a job? Do you live with your parents? Do you have any friends you can go do things with?
You are 21. You have a lifetime of wonderful experiences ahead of you. GO LIVE YOUR LIFE! Do not waste it.:flowerforyou:
ETA I am not bashing the vegan lifestyle, only pointing out that many people start it without knowing what they are doing, and end up deficient in iron and other vitamins and can really screw up their bodies. Do your homework to make sure you are doing it in a healthy way!
THIS! Especially about inactivity leading to further inactivity. I lost my brother 9 months ago and have been depressed. I stopped working out and after finally seeing a therapist and getting some help, it's now a part of my treatment plan that I work out. I can't tell you the difference I feel and how much stress is relieved after a 30 minute workout. Sometimes I'm still so wound up that I'll do more. I sleep better when I workout. I'm about to increase my calories because I'm feeling so rundown the past couple days, so that can def contribute to feeling tired even if your sleeping at night.
I love naps but I do find that if they are too long, I wake up more tired and it defeats the purpose. I try to keep them in 30 minute intervals.0 -
Lately I try to take a nap daily... but I'm also growing a human, so my body is working double time.
In your case though it sounds more depression related... in which case I would say yes, it is bad. You need to address the depression and also get out and get moving. Take a walk to the park or something. One of the best things you can do to fight 'fatigue' is to get moving.0 -
Several times recently i have taken a spontaneous nap in front of the t.v. or computer. I awake several hours later after the sun has gone down, and discover that i left the blinds up & the storm door unlocked. Leaving myself on full display for my neighbors & others to peep & creep on AND allowing anyone who pleases easy entry into my home.
so those naps suck.....but otherwise, i think naps are great!0 -
I think afternoon naps are bad, healthy people sleeping in the night time should not need to have a nap. If you have a kid keeping you up at night then I understand. I think your body would be better served with a good 7 hour continuous sleep and then followed by an active day.
Meh, I am a healthy person who sleeps at night but I sometimes have an afternoon nap on the weekends.
Used to have one after work too when I started early and then finished work at 3 pm.
Works well for me.
However I agree with others, if you are sleeping excessive amounts during the day and are chronically tired, a medical check may be in order0 -
I nap an hour every afternoon. Lol, my DD stopped, but I didn't.:laugh: When I go in later at night to instruct, I'm energized.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness industry for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
I agree with DebbieLynn.
Also, it's known that eating very low cal usually leads to reductions in overall activity, including more napping and just less movement overall. Usually, we're not even really conscious of it occurring, we just move less and feel more lethargic and sleep more. So if you're eating very low cal for the deficit, your body is reducing its burn to reduce part of the deficit. You'd be better off running a shallower deficit, especially if you tend toward depression already.0 -
no it's not ok0
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It is not bad and actually as long as it is a short nap, it probably is good. It should not keep you from exercising though. You may find that you have more energy if you get out and exercise some... Just exercise at another time of the day... When you get up in the morning or a couple of hours before you retire at night... I am a night exerciser and when I am off work, typically lie down for at least 30 minutes or so in the afternoon... Rest is important as well as exercise... But do both.0
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Woooo Hoooo I nap whenever I can zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.0
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