I have been to my doctor numerous times growing up and especially throughout high school because my mother was concerned that I slept too much. I have been blood-tested, asked if I was depressed, you name it. I LOVE to sleep… and I am the queen of naps
In high school, I would wake up at 6 am, leave to drive to school at 6:50, and classes would start at 7:20. I would go to four 90 minute classes back to back with 13 minutes in between each and a 30 minute lunch break. I would get home around 3:00, and I would be exhausted because I was up late doing all my school work and evening plans and my day at school was intense. I was getting about 6 hours a night, so as a result, I would take a two hour nap, which I understand is not necessarily healthie, but as my doctor pointed out, my napping was making up for my lack of sleep during the night because my body needs at least 10 hours of sleep, and that was impossible for me (as it is for most people I know my age).
Now that I am in college with a schedule I picked, I do not feel the need to take naps. I wake up at 8 am every morning, and I go to sleep at midnight. I find that I am way less tired and have much more energy when my body is on a natural wake and sleep schedule. Although I am not a morning person, I like having early classes because then I get them over with and it forces me to wake up at the same time Monday through Friday. I strongly recommend forcing yourself to get on a repetitive sleep schedule if you find yourself to be tired all the time.
I still nap occasionally, but not for two hours. My drowsiness is very correlated with how much exercise and what kind of food I am eating (last two blog posts). Sometimes, going to the gym and working out for an hour is more energizing than taking a nap. I also refuse to drink caffeine as a way to wake me up because I do not want to become dependent on it, but I find that I feel better if I drink a lot of water and unsugared green and black tea throughout the day.
I know many people, including my sister and best friend, who cannot take naps and have more energy than me with 7 hours of sleep, and I also know people who sleep more than I do. I think it’s all about knowing your body and how much rest you need and then scheduling yourself accordingly
In my opinion, sleep is not for the weak, but sleeping for a week is not necessarily the best routine.
Stay Healthie!
This was a great post! I agree with you on how exercising is more energizing than any nap can be. I’ve also found that when I go to the gym I end up falling asleep easier at the end of the day and have better quality sleep as well. I’m also the same way with my classes, I hate having them so spread out and prefer having them back to back so that I have the rest of the day to be productive and have fun.
I love this blog!! After reading this post, I read a couple previous ones as well. It’s fun and has a good energy, and I love the way the website’s set up. You also have some really great tips I’m going to try to incorporate into my lifestyle, so thanks!! Excited to read what’s to come.
My dad has always told me that if I work out I will feel less sluggish. I went through a phase where I would mope around and have no energy to hang out with friends, family, or do school work. Once I started running and playing sports, I felt so much better. Also, in high school, after school sports gave me a strict schedule but it was almost better than having too much free time. I agree with you that exercise can sometimes give you more energy than sleep.