I often find myself napping in my TV chair at about 4 PM for maybe 15 or 20 minutes and feeling less fatigued upon awakening.
I also spend about 15 minutes hurkle durkling upon waking up in the morning, petting Jazz, my Pomeranian, who sleeps on the carpet at my bedside. (Little Papillon Molly sleeps cuddled next to me in bed.)
I should lie on my back on the carpet more. It does help my achy lower back.
Mim, you often paint such lovely scenes with comments. I want to give Jazz and Molly some scratches behind the ears and maybe a treat under the dinner table! The carpet treatment for sore backs can sometimes help or hurt... for me it's a good thoracic straightening, too. I'll do that today :)
Cheers to you for again coming up with useful, actionable, thought-provoking topics.
Hmm. Floor time zen sounds interesting. I think I'd put a rolled towel under the curve of my (osteoarthritic) back, but I really like the focus-on-body thing; I have trouble with racing mind too often.
Hi Cheryl, and I'm glad you also find "useless" relaxed behaviors... useful and relaxing! Good idea with the rolled towel. Intuitively if something hurts listen to that and reposition. But I like the idea expressed in the NYT article about finding a little discomfort refocusing in a way.
Thanks Susan, and the same well wishes to you and your family! Napping pro tips for the end of the year after a lot of highly technical posts lately seemed about right ;)
1)One gets needed rest even if one doesn’t fall asleep. 2)Dr. M, do you have a cat? We adopted a female who wakes me up every morning at the same time. First she takes my eye mask off. If I continue to lie there with eyes closed, she will attempt to open the eyelids as well, so obviously I must get up. I’m far less inclined to stay up past my bedtime knowing I have a fail safe alarm in the morning that doesn’t take no for an answer. 3)The flat on the floor rest eases my back but these days I need a very thin pillow for my head. 4)Since using a steroid inhaler as an experiment, I no longer need any naps. 5)I’m so glad you’re going to work on getting enough sleep.
In the past few weeks I've been lingering in bed until 6:30 or 7, however it's still dark this time of year.. so would that qualify as hurkle-durkle? It is lovely. I may have a podcast or NPR on, but that never prevents me from falling back asleep.
Hi Margaux... though I pretend otherwise, I am not an expert on hurkle durkle definition... but I would say that if it feels luxurious and unproductive, that counts! It's great if you can linger like that without the anxiety of the coming day creeping in. Stay warm and cozy :)
Alexander Technique practitioners teach “constructive rest” which consists of laying on the hard floor with knees bent up and resting against one another with feet flat on the floor OR lower half of the leg resting up on a chair or other surface, parallel to the body and at a 90 degree angle to the upper leg. They advise putting a small thing like a book under the head. I find this to be incredibly helpful for resetting my body and mind.
Fantastic JD. Thank you for sharing this. I will give this a try specifically, as you well described. I also find that moving my back around on the floor can provide a kind of massage for the paraspinals... especially handy when no one feels like hooking me up with a massage ;)
That sounds perfect, Jessica. Your regular practice almost certainly keeps your parasympathetic nervous system tone higher, and defuses the sympathetic. I do the breathing 5 sec in, 5-7 sec out at least 10 times a day, but often just for like 3 breaths at a time. It's better than nothing, and resets things along the busy way. Happy holidays :)
Ryan, I just did my first “floor time” (corpse pose, 20 min) on a cork yoga mat on a ceramic tile floor. And it felt good! After the first couple of minutes, my breathing became slower and deeper, I think because my chest is so open in that position. I’m going to leave the mat where it is and then “take 20” (or 10, or 5, whatever) when I feel like a quick recharge. Thank you for sharing this.
I did this last night, too, and felt much the same. Hunched shoulders all day really contribute to that rounding of the upper back. I also extend arms by my side, palms down, and then pinch shoulder blades together to really try to open my collapsing chest! Thanks for stopping in :)
I have ankylosing spondylitis, and I find lying flat on the floor helps my hips and opens up my chest. I am also fond of child’s pose on the floor. Generally, naps don’t refresh me but it’s hard for me to limit the time. I worked overnights for 15 years, my body is probably still adjusting.
Same here, if I "force" a nap, like right now in the morning when I know I did not get enough sleep last night, I'll be fitful, fretful, and weird REM dreams might intrude quickly. Maybe ~2 PM I'll aim for the couch and see what happens. Overnights for 15 years probably does contribute to some brain rewiring to survive! Thanks for sharing about the AS, and glad floor time does not necessarily worsen.
Hi Ryan, I have narcolepsy so many daily involuntary naps are way too familiar to me. I cherish my waking hours these days, as my condition is much better managed now.
I hadn’t finished… I wanted to add that I did some floor zen on my hardwood floor with my head on a pillow and it was very relaxing! Think I might even do it daily! Thank you for suggesting this and while I’d love to agree about naps, naps like mine were much more debilitating than helpful.
Oops, I should have consolidated my answers to you! Glad you like the floor time. Such a simple idea, and I always forget to do it. I've also been doing this a bit more since writing this post, and feel the movement in my upper back is a positive thing right now. Also hard to look at one's phone in this position, so there is meditative break from that, too!
Sometimes the nap is so good, I could spend a couple of hours doing it. ; - }
So good! Listen to your body, then doctors, and then lastly to societal expectations for productiveness!
I often find myself napping in my TV chair at about 4 PM for maybe 15 or 20 minutes and feeling less fatigued upon awakening.
I also spend about 15 minutes hurkle durkling upon waking up in the morning, petting Jazz, my Pomeranian, who sleeps on the carpet at my bedside. (Little Papillon Molly sleeps cuddled next to me in bed.)
I should lie on my back on the carpet more. It does help my achy lower back.
Those are all good tips, Dr Ryan.
Mim, you often paint such lovely scenes with comments. I want to give Jazz and Molly some scratches behind the ears and maybe a treat under the dinner table! The carpet treatment for sore backs can sometimes help or hurt... for me it's a good thoracic straightening, too. I'll do that today :)
Cheers to you for again coming up with useful, actionable, thought-provoking topics.
Hmm. Floor time zen sounds interesting. I think I'd put a rolled towel under the curve of my (osteoarthritic) back, but I really like the focus-on-body thing; I have trouble with racing mind too often.
Hi Cheryl, and I'm glad you also find "useless" relaxed behaviors... useful and relaxing! Good idea with the rolled towel. Intuitively if something hurts listen to that and reposition. But I like the idea expressed in the NYT article about finding a little discomfort refocusing in a way.
Thank you for these excellent pro tips, and for all your wonderful observations and advice. Wishing you and yours a happy, healthy New Year.
Thanks Susan, and the same well wishes to you and your family! Napping pro tips for the end of the year after a lot of highly technical posts lately seemed about right ;)
1)One gets needed rest even if one doesn’t fall asleep. 2)Dr. M, do you have a cat? We adopted a female who wakes me up every morning at the same time. First she takes my eye mask off. If I continue to lie there with eyes closed, she will attempt to open the eyelids as well, so obviously I must get up. I’m far less inclined to stay up past my bedtime knowing I have a fail safe alarm in the morning that doesn’t take no for an answer. 3)The flat on the floor rest eases my back but these days I need a very thin pillow for my head. 4)Since using a steroid inhaler as an experiment, I no longer need any naps. 5)I’m so glad you’re going to work on getting enough sleep.
Hi Sue!
1) totally agree, it takes the pressure off the whole sleeping while "napping" proposition
2) allergic to cats, but love the highly intelligent and goal-oriented morning cat behavior described. Precious!
3) good idea on the head pillow, eases the displacement of cervical and thoracic vertebrae
4) Excellent!
5) just took that 28 minute nap/rest. feel better!
Happy holidays to you and yours!
Happy Holidays! I can neither nap nor hurkle durkle but floor time works great!
Happy holidays to you, too! One out of three is better than I achieve on 99% of my days... Thanks for your vote ;)
In the past few weeks I've been lingering in bed until 6:30 or 7, however it's still dark this time of year.. so would that qualify as hurkle-durkle? It is lovely. I may have a podcast or NPR on, but that never prevents me from falling back asleep.
Hi Margaux... though I pretend otherwise, I am not an expert on hurkle durkle definition... but I would say that if it feels luxurious and unproductive, that counts! It's great if you can linger like that without the anxiety of the coming day creeping in. Stay warm and cozy :)
Alexander Technique practitioners teach “constructive rest” which consists of laying on the hard floor with knees bent up and resting against one another with feet flat on the floor OR lower half of the leg resting up on a chair or other surface, parallel to the body and at a 90 degree angle to the upper leg. They advise putting a small thing like a book under the head. I find this to be incredibly helpful for resetting my body and mind.
Fantastic JD. Thank you for sharing this. I will give this a try specifically, as you well described. I also find that moving my back around on the floor can provide a kind of massage for the paraspinals... especially handy when no one feels like hooking me up with a massage ;)
happy holidays, thanks for stopping in.
I try to nap for
20 min 2-3 times weekly. The other days I do a seated guided meditation (15 minutes online). It definitely helps keep my mind calm and focused .
That sounds perfect, Jessica. Your regular practice almost certainly keeps your parasympathetic nervous system tone higher, and defuses the sympathetic. I do the breathing 5 sec in, 5-7 sec out at least 10 times a day, but often just for like 3 breaths at a time. It's better than nothing, and resets things along the busy way. Happy holidays :)
Ryan, I just did my first “floor time” (corpse pose, 20 min) on a cork yoga mat on a ceramic tile floor. And it felt good! After the first couple of minutes, my breathing became slower and deeper, I think because my chest is so open in that position. I’m going to leave the mat where it is and then “take 20” (or 10, or 5, whatever) when I feel like a quick recharge. Thank you for sharing this.
I did this last night, too, and felt much the same. Hunched shoulders all day really contribute to that rounding of the upper back. I also extend arms by my side, palms down, and then pinch shoulder blades together to really try to open my collapsing chest! Thanks for stopping in :)
I have ankylosing spondylitis, and I find lying flat on the floor helps my hips and opens up my chest. I am also fond of child’s pose on the floor. Generally, naps don’t refresh me but it’s hard for me to limit the time. I worked overnights for 15 years, my body is probably still adjusting.
Same here, if I "force" a nap, like right now in the morning when I know I did not get enough sleep last night, I'll be fitful, fretful, and weird REM dreams might intrude quickly. Maybe ~2 PM I'll aim for the couch and see what happens. Overnights for 15 years probably does contribute to some brain rewiring to survive! Thanks for sharing about the AS, and glad floor time does not necessarily worsen.
Floor time is fine....if you can get back up again.
Good point, and not for everyone I agree.
Hi Ryan, I have narcolepsy so many daily involuntary naps are way too familiar to me. I cherish my waking hours these days, as my condition is much better managed now.
Hi Phoebe - good point how one size recommendations never fit all. So happy that your condition is better managed and with less daily disruptions :)
I hadn’t finished… I wanted to add that I did some floor zen on my hardwood floor with my head on a pillow and it was very relaxing! Think I might even do it daily! Thank you for suggesting this and while I’d love to agree about naps, naps like mine were much more debilitating than helpful.
Oops, I should have consolidated my answers to you! Glad you like the floor time. Such a simple idea, and I always forget to do it. I've also been doing this a bit more since writing this post, and feel the movement in my upper back is a positive thing right now. Also hard to look at one's phone in this position, so there is meditative break from that, too!