Napping

Yawning through breakfast? Eyes closing during work? Nodding off while driving?

Well, of course. We are at the napping age.

But certain choices must be made before undertaking one.

Before the nap

First, you have to decide when to nap.

Deciding, for instance, to nap in the middle of the night while you are already sleeping is always a good choice, since it gives you a solid head start.

Some people, however, like a morning nap, right after they wake up and realize how tired they are because they spent much of the night listening to nearby snoring or worrying about the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

Others prefer early afternoon because not much is going on and they might be sorely tempted to watch the new season—or an old season—of Emily in Paris on Netflix. There are also a few people who prefer a nap right before dinner so they are fully rested before attempting to peel asparagus. During dinner also can work, because it allows you to skip any dining table discussion on the benefits of flossing.

In fact, all these options are good — the only way to know which is best for you is to try all of them, one after the other, ideally on a day when you want to avoid cleaning out the back of the fridge.

Now you need to decide where you are going to do your napping. You want to do it in a restful environment. Eliminate the parade route of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. Also, avoid Madison Square Garden, except, maybe, during halftime of the Knicks/Grizzlies game.

Nap, instead, in a quiet, dark place with a comfortable temperature and few distractions. Consider, for instance, your kitchen pantry closet, unless it has a shelf of expired cans of creamed corn that could explode at any moment.

Most experts advise against napping while driving, eating, or showering.

During the nap

Before you lie down, first, set an alarm. Be sure to place the alarm in another room, or even somebody else’s house, so it will not disturb you.

Do not spend your nap time thinking of what you should be doing or could be doing during your nap time. You probably wouldn’t do any of it anyway and would be scrolling on Facebook or checking out YouTube videos instead.

Keep your nap short. If it’s longer than six hours, you will be forced to rename it sleep and then where will you be?

Experts say to aim for twenty to thirty minutes of nap time. Most experts, of course, aren’t nearly as tired as you are.

But you also don’t want to make your nap too short. The ideal length of a nap depends, obviously, on the person, so find a person who will encourage you to nap for as long as you want.

After the nap

You may feel a little groggy following a short daytime nap. That’s normal. You can wake yourself up with a cold shower or by running briskly across an interstate highway.

Remember, immediately after a nap, do not operate complicated machinery — like the toilet — until you have cleared your head and been able to answer the Final Jeopardy question in the form of a question.

If it isn’t in the form of a question, that means you’re probably still too groggy and drowsy. Maybe consider taking a nap.