Naps.   Do they refresh you or do you feel they slow you down?   

I think naps are an absolute waste of time and it’s ironic I come from a culture where nap-time is an essential part of the day.

I dreaded nap time when I was in preschool and kindergarten because I would be lying there wide awake while everyone else are snoring away as my brain refused to let me sleep. Then when I was finally able to doze off, nap time would be over and I would be groggy and tired for the duration of the afternoon.

My grandmother also used to make me nap. From around 1 pm to 3 pm, everyone would be snoozing away, except me, filled with such an abundant energy that I could probably power a tractor.

I think it’s an indicator the Chinese culture and I are not meant to be. Everyone naps in China. When nap time arrives, everyone would drop whatever they’re doing and nap. It would be like Earth would stop spinning for an hour.

When I was working at the hay factory in 2017 – the company was run by Asians – there was an hour mandatory lunch period. I told the boss I didn’t need an hour lunch. I could do it in 15 minutes. That way, I wouldn’t lose an hour of my precious time and I would be off from work early. Did I mention the hour was unpaid?

The boss said no can do. No “special treatment” for me.

While the bosses napped during that hour, I went out and walked laps. There was no way I would give in. I wasn’t meant for the Asian culture and this is the United States of America – a free world – there was no way I was going to “nap” like the rest of them.

As we return to the present, I now see naps as a per-needed basis. I rarely nap, except when I truly need it, even though I never feel refreshed after a nap. The grogginess from the shut-eye would stay with me for the rest of the day, which, truly, is not enjoyable.