Afternoon Nap

Afternoon nap is supposed to be refreshing. After a hectic and tiring work schedule, one could easily revitalise himself after catching a short nap. Or, perhaps when you are feeling drowsy, one would most likely think of catnapping to recharge himself. After all, it has been said (not sure if this has been proven) that working/studying when you are feeling drowsy is not efficient/effective at all. As the saying goes, taking a rest is to prepare for the long road ahead. So might as well stop what you are doing right now and head for the nearest armchair, sofa or bed to recharge himself so that he can work better or more efficiently later.

I beg to differ.

Beg my pardon? Yes, I feel that afternoon naps make things worse.

It feels like having a terrible hangover, especially when you just regain your consciousness after being hypnotise by the humid weather and the comfort of the cushion or mattress you are lying on. Your eyes feel dry, your lips feel like cracking and your head spins around in confusion like a top. The first hour or so of the nap is fine. But after that, everything goes downhill and becomes disastrous. Like when the eye of the hurricane passes, what is installed for us is torrential rains, flashing lightnings and roaring thunders.

When you are into the second hour, you begin to sweat. Sometimes, it can be quite profuse, even though the fan is blasting at you at full speed. Your face feels dry, especially your lips, which will begin to feel like cracking, a condition which will only be experienced in cold temperate climates. Next, your head begins to feel "heavy", "stuffy" amd "saggy". You feel like there's a huge ball of cotton wool being stuffed in your head. You then begin to regain your consciousness and open your eyes slowly, then after like ten seconds,you close your eyes and drift into LalaLand within like five seconds. Then, after god-knows-how-long, it could be a mere five minutes, or as long as 45 minutes, you wake up again and the cycle continues.

It could be your biology, or it could be just the mere fact that afternoon naps are evil.

Just as you undego the cycle of waking-up-every-now-and-then-and-fall-back-into-sleep-within-ten-seconds, your body (brain, to be specific) does desprately want to get out of this shitty situation it is in. But your nerves just won't generate and relay the corresponding signals and hence your relavant anatomy refuse to obey your brain's wishes. So, you just remain glued onto your bed until evil takes control of your brain and send you back to LalaLand again.

When evil has had enough of fun, it will leave you body alone and search for another tired soul who is getting ready for an afternoon nap. So meanwhile, you will just keep tossing and turning on your bed, drifitng in and out of your dream and reality.

Such a feeling is really terrible. What was meant to be a relaxing experience turns out to be something torturing.

I don't know how you guys out there feel about afternoon naps. Every time when my eyelids are drooping in the afternoon, I will also be tempted by the comfort of my bed and my stuffed pillow. And I will also be reminded of the side-effects of taking a nap.

However, temptations are always hard to resist.