Poll: Did you begin napping after retiring?

[Midpack]

Again, I’ll let you decide if your napping behavior has really changed. If pressed I’d compare retired napping habits to weekend/days off napping habits while working (though shift work would be a special case). I’m assuming most of us had jobs where napping was frowned upon...

I’ve never been a napper, but it wouldn’t bother me if I did now that I’m retired. I’ve only (involuntarily) napped for twenty minutes or so during the day about 2-3 times after over 6 years retired. And I rarely napped on off days while working. But two of DW’s friends have reported their retired husbands often nap during the day (and the wives are not too keen on it). I wonder if I’ll acquire napping skills?

 

[davebarnes]

I acquired a napping habit at age 65 during chemo.
I still take naps.
One advantage of working at home.

 

[Germonico]

Don't take a nap everyday, but given the right conditions, I don't prevent it from happening.

 

[grasshopper]

Life long napper here, 15-20 minutes every day.

 

[MissMolly]

I never, ever nap unless I am sick. I have enough trouble sleeping at night as it is. A nap would make it even more difficult. My DH on the other hand is the king of nappers. Drives me crazy.

 

[street]

No I don't nap but I will say I have fallen to sleep in the chair a time or two. I don't like it when that happens because I won't sleep at night.

 

[H2ODude]

In last two decades of w**k was known to close office door for 10-15 and snooze a bit on occasion. Either that or use gym/run for a long lunch. In either case I'm positive that the overall benefit to employer was a much more effective me; but I logged more than 40 anyway. Now an afternoon nap happens maybe half the time.

 

[BornonaBayou]

It's hard to understand anyone is against napping for themselves or anyone else. if it affects your sleep cycle is one thing, but, if your body is fatigued enough to want to rest, let it. Look to your diet and activity levels for clues to sleep cycle disruptions. I enjoy a good nap, sometimes its short, other times it is very deep for a couple of hours. And yes it occasionally messes with my nightly sleep cycle, but not often.

 

[MOSAT]

I rarely took naps while I was w*rking, weekend time was too precious to waste sleeping. Now I find a short 30 min nap in the afternoon is perfect to keep the engine running. If I'm busy with a hobby, or some outside activity, no nap, but on the colder days when outside activity is less comfortable I'll nap.

I find that the short nap prevents me from dosing after dinner ruining a nights sleep, but a nap middle afternoon is perfect.

I friend, who has been retired longer than I, were discussing napping recently. He asked if I napped, I fessed up, he laughed and said it took him about a year into ER before he could prevent going down for a nap. He has had sleep problems all his life so I was surprised that he would consider napping. His "sleep doctor" told him it was not unusual for recent retirees to nap to "catch up" on sleep due to stress and sleep deprivation while w*rking. I'm skeptical about that, but I'll take it as an excuse for a short afternoon nap. Now my friends that are still w*rking give me a hard time for napping, but I just smile and say I nap 'cause I can.

 

[MRG]

Never been a napper, even as a child. Wake up feeling bad. No change.

 

[Fishingmn]

On nights I don't sleep real well I do get tired in the afternoon and a 20-30 minute nap is great. I set my iPhone alarm to make sure I don't sleep too long. It's not that frequent - 1-2/week at most but they are refreshing.

 

[Car-Guy]

More so now than when I worked.

 

[NYEXPAT]

I probably started napping in my mid 20's when I used to ride the LIRR. After I retired at 33/34 I have napped most days. For the past three years I have napped virtually every day with my soon to be 3 year old. It has been a great bonding tool!

 

[skipro33]

I call 'em siesta not nap. Usually when I'm taking a break from what ever I'm working on, I'll sit down on the front porch in a rocking chair (outside/warm weather work), or my over sized wing back library room chair (inside/cool weather work) and doze off for a few minutes to half an hour. I wake up refreshed and ready to get back at it.
When I worked, I'd lay my head down and at least pretend to nap just so people would leave me alone.

 

[rayinpenn]

Don't take a nap everyday, but given the right conditions, I don't prevent it from happening.

Me too..comfy chair near the gas stove does the trick.

 

[Eagle43]

Yep. Never napped when I was working. Rarely miss my nap now. Right after lunch. My Lazy Boy has made me a lazy boy. It sure beats having a "one o'clock" or whatever megacorp's meetings are called these days.

 

[harley]

Again, I worked odd, broken hours when I worked, with long nights of on call interruptions. I often took naps at my desk if there was nothing going on. And I always turned my phone to mute during boring conference calls so they couldn't hear me if I started snoring. I was pretty good about waking up if I heard my name on the call.

Now I nap nearly every day. Go to bed late, get up after 5-6 hours of sleep, grab an hour or so in the late afternoon. Works well for me.

 

[Ally]

I'm not a napper unless sick, and this is the same as prior to retirement.

 

[scrabbler1]

I was a napper before I retired. (I answered "yes" the poll question anyway.) I still am and enjoy it a lot. Oooh, it's nearly 3 PM, time for my daily nap!

 

[mpeirce]

I've always been a napper. I worked from home so I could usually work in a 15 minute nap most days.

I nap a bit less now, so I didn't see a valid answer in the poll...

 

[braumeister]

I've never been able to nap during the day. I've tried all my life, utterly without success. I always sleep well at night, but once I'm up in the morning I'm awake until the next night.

 

[RunningBum]

Yep, I often take naps during the day since I retired. Nope, I didn't begin napping after I retired.