To Nap or Not to Nap

Exodus 33:14 - The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

To the person who suffers with chronic pain or an illness, each day can feel like a marathon.
                                                      
To the healthy individual is not a difficult task to prepare to leave their homes. However, to the unhealthy person everything they do to get themselves ready to face the day is exhausting.
 
And then, after getting ready to leave, it may be that they’re just too tired to join the world.
 
I commend those who make it out the door each day, whether it be to a job or to a doctor’s appointment. Their energy level now, as the day passes, decreases with each step they take. Exausted, they return home and after some lunch they decide to rest for a while.
 
To the healthy person taking a nap in the middle of the day sounds like an excuse to be lazy, and that it will hurt their ability to sleep at night. But to the one in pain, without a nap in the middle of the day, we can’t make it through the day. It may be that the nap will affect their sleep, but they have to do what they have to do.
 
So, let’s take a look at why napping during the day can be good for you. Michaelhyatt.com, in their article, “5 Reasons Why You Should Take a Nap Every Day,” discusses the benefits of napping such as a nap restores alertness. The energy dip you feel in the afternoon can be combated with a twenty to thirty minute nap. Also, the secret to becoming more productive is not managing your time; it’s managing your energy.
 
We can see that with a person suffering from a chronic health condition a nap each day may be necessary to give them the energy they need to make it through their day. But we can also see the benefits of a healthy person taking a nap each day. Take a look at the Bible verse above. God not only supports our taking a nap each day, but it is he who gives us this rest and will go with us throughout our day.

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