Naptime

I remember it vividly…lying on a rug, my eyes wide open. And I’m wondering why a big person is telling me to take a nap when the sun is shining and the room is filled with art supplies and books. This is my most vivid memory from first grade.

My mother, on the other hand, figured out when I was two that I didn’t need or want a nap. To this day, naps have remained a nonexistent part of my life.

Even though I am not a napper, my attitude toward naps has changed. This is because I live surrounded by ten champion nappers.

My husband is a nap specialist; anytime, anyplace, anywhere. A quick ten to twenty minute catnap and he is good to go. I quickly realized this ability is a remarkable gift. For example, we both love taking road trips, always sharing the driving. He usually chalks up several naps while it’s my turn at the wheel. When I am in the passenger seat, my eyes are wide open checking out the scenery or reading a book. My body refuses to sleep during the day or when I’m in a moving vehicle.

The nine other nappers in our house have raised napping to an art form. Felines both small and large, tame and wild, spend an average of fifteen to twenty hours a day sleeping. Science reveals several reasons why cats are such superb sleepers.

First, they are classified as crepuscular animals, i.e., they are most active at dawn and dusk. When hunting (and they are all hard-wired to hunt even if we are dishing up the tuna), they avoid predators in daylight and deep night hours.

Second, cats in the wild expend enormous amounts of energy hunting and must rest up after the chase. The instinct remains in our house cats. The other day, I watched our cat Shrimp chase his tail, dump out his toy basket, bat his balls around and kill his toy mouse. Then he flopped down in the middle of the kitchen for a good snooze.

A third reason for cat naps is temperature regulation. Cats evolved in and adapted to hot climates. They’ve learned how to conserve energy and stay cool by taking frequent siestas.

And finally, scientists speculate that cats sleep a lot simply because it is pleasurable. Yesterday, I was sitting next to our big ginger cat, MacGregor, as he dozed off. A few minutes later, he was sound asleep and loudly purring.

I truly wish I could take a little cat nap now and then, but it’s not in my DNA. Here are some lessons from the experts.

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