A few days ago I woke up to find it was National Napping Day and maybe I got a little too excited. It inspired me to take a deeper look at my lifestyle. Why do I sleep so much? Does loving sleep make me inherently depressed? I don’t think it does. I found time to dissect these thoughts and type them out in between naps.

Yes, I’m prone to depressive episodes, but I even like sleeping when I feel perfectly perky, like right now. It’s barely 11:30am. I’ve been up several hours already because I didn’t work last night. (It’s not unusual for me to go to sleep between 5am & 7am when I work). The sun is shining, people outside my apartment building are bustling, spring is in the air…and my pillow is calling my name.

I don’t feel so guilty about giving in to the temptation to nap because I’ve already gotten my day started. I changed my sheets, caught up on the news, read a couple articles, & scheduled several appointments. Now I’m writing?! I deserve a nap at this point.

I don’t work a 9-5 which allows for these spontaneous sleep sessions. It may not always be this way so I have to take advantage now, don’t I?! People tend to equate sleeping during the day with laziness but that’s not always the case. Someone once told me it’s possible to sleep productively and intentionally. This means falling asleep with specific thoughts or meditations in mind. I find it can really help sort out the chaos in both my conscious and subconscious thoughts. It also helps me to manifest the things I want.

For as long as I can remember my dreams have been meaningful and telling. I feel like I can communicate with the universe more deeply when I’m in the space of my dream life. I’ll often search the meanings of my dreams to decode what my soul is trying to tell me. It’s very comforting! If I’m dating someone I like sleeping with him as a means of bonding. We’re most vulnerable when we’re asleep. Our guards are down. We’re defenseless. There’s no hiding. According to this article sleeping with your significant other strengthens the relationship and decreases stress. I need all the de-stressing I can soak up because my body basically runs on cortisol, the anxiety-inducing hormone. As an introvert, I can think of few things more satisfying than a nice, long, recharging nap. A light-hearted holiday to help us adjust to Daylight Saving Time? It’s cute but I don’t need an excuse. Now’s as good a time as any other. I’ll sleep when I’m dead and while I’m alive.