I wish I were a cat-well when it comes to napping at least...

Well, there she is.  All stretched out, belly full, eyes half open.

If I glance over at her, she looks up at me just long enough to curl her dainty white paws under to get a bit more comfortable.  Then, she sleeps.

This cat, boy am I jealous.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I can't resist an opportunity to take a nap. 

The joy of sleep, brings such a peaceful bliss to an otherwise hectic day.  I only need a half hour but I always feel like the process itself deserves at least a full hour time slot because it requires some preparation.   I'm not one that can lay on the couch and conk out. 

No, I need to be in my bed, under the covers, eye patches on, perhaps ear plugs in...It's a whole deal of prep work. 

Once I get nestled into my cozy cocoon, I shut my eyes and start to unwind.  If I can just settle myself long enough to relax...

Some days, oh the sweet bliss comes quickly and I fall asleep fast, awake refreshed and ready for the second half of my day.

Other days, after the whole ritual of it all, I lay there just to discover sleep evades me.  It's just not my lucky day I guess.

And finally there are those days when I sleep so soundly, I wake up and wonder exactly where the hell I am, what day it is and why was I dreaming about cramming stuffed animals down the garbage disposal.

Napping, for me, is one of the simple joys in life I am not willing to give up.  Some might say that napping is for wussies, people who can't make it through the day without rest.  But I say it's only fair to give your body AND mind a break from the grind of everyday life.  And again, those that know me, also know that I run at top speed most of the time so a nap every now and again is well deserved and much needed. 

The benefits of sleep and rest continue to remain on the front line of topics in every health and wellness magazine and talk show around.  Yet, more and more people are functioning on less sleep than ever before.

Sleep is the time our bodies, just like our computers, reboot.  It's the time when our cells turn over and regenerate, fighting the effects of aging, even better than Botox (maybe).   Isn't that enough reason to want to catch a few extra zzzzz's?

The truth is, like most of us, I fought naps as a child.  What was I thinking?  I mean, c'mon...kids these days should realize the joy of a nap!  Instead, they are busy trying to discover their world and everything in it! 

Little do they know that the day will come, soon mind you, that they will HAVE to rush around making choices and decisions that will not always be about which color paint to use or which bike to ride or which friend to play with! But if they are lucky enough, sometimes they will, (and that would be the day it's ok to forego a rest).

No, the truth is, for most of us, finding the time to indulge in a nap is usually few and far between.  Perhaps that's one of the reasons why they feel so good.

Occasionally, and I mean just occasionally, I will find myself napping a bit too often.  I still have a preschooler who naps daily and when she's not at school, I cease the opportunity to nap when she does.  I think it came from when she was a baby and I followed the very sound advice to "nap when the baby naps."  What can I say, it stuck.

Some women have boundless energy to keep up with their kids, get the chores done, go to work, and manage their lives without the need for a nap.  I will confess here and now, I am not one of those women. 

I have some friends who can't nap to save their lives.  I have others that can literally fall asleep in the midst of the rest of us chattering away.  And then there's me, the one with the whole production...

So today, even though I really want to lay my head down on my soft pillow and tuck my body beneath my freshly changed sheets, I will deny myself.  Instead, I've chosen to be a tad bit more productive by writing this blog while Piper is dozing peacefully in the other room. 

I might be sacrificing my beauty so I certainly hope you are all enjoying this!

But seriously my friends, if you are not currently a napper, I urge you to give it another try.  If you are a sleep aficionado like myself, perhaps scaling back to less frequent naps might be a good idea too, but only if it means you are able to do something else you love... it might even be exercising! 

So as I close today, I hope this finds you well rested and if not, damn it~go take a nap!

Now, where is that cat? 

Oh there she is, on my bed, curled up in a ball. 

Maybe she needs some company.