I haven’t always had the best sleeping habits and because of FaceBook I now know that I am not alone in this.  My sleeping pattern has been unusual all of my life so I never give it much thought.  Recently though I have been using the computer in the hours between 3 and 5 a.m. and I catch other people up and active at the same time.  Most of them are complaining about not being able to sleep. 

My take on the sleep issue is just that I only need 4-5 consecutive hours of rest.  If I need additional rest later in the day, I usually fit in a nap.  Nap is not a four letter word.  It is an OK thing to do, especially if it refreshes you so you can continue another 8-10 hours doing normal activity.  I don’t find napping to be the activity of a lazy person or of a child or of an old person.  I just think of it as taking my rest in installments.

There are quite a few studies on REM and dreaming and the need for deep sleep in order to recharge our mind and body.  I also read an interesting study on people in the middle ages of history and their sleep patterns.  They actually slept for 4-5 hours, then got up and ate and did things, then went back to sleep for several more hours.  That’s almost my pattern but not quite.  Evidently there was a long period in history when that interrupted sleep pattern was considered quite normal.  Perhaps I am just a person out of sync with her time in history.  I don’t know.

Anyway, I find many advantages to my sleep pattern.  First, I can get work done that needs absolute quiet such as studying, reading, or writing.  No one is around to interrupt my concentration.  Second, I love the early morning and sunrise.  The birds are active early and execute their most beautiful singing then.  And, third, I always have a built in reason for taking a nap.  Right–I only slept 4 hours last night.  Really need to take a nap.  Seems like a great reason to me.

So when I encounter people up in the middle of the night, I encourage them to revel in being the only one in their house awake.  I cheer them in to believing they are getting a head start on their co-workers or family.  Pour another cup of coffee and enjoy the peace and quiet I say.  This goes over pretty well but when I suggest if they are tired later they can take a nap, I am no longer the cheerleader they want.  I become the lazy, old person they don’t want to be.  This is the response even though I put in less total hours sleeping than the average person.  Just can’t make some people realize flexibility can be built in to all phases of life.