Nap is Not a Four-Letter Word

It’s naptime at our house right now.

Shortly after Hannah was born, Jason’s aunt gave us a small pillow to hang on the door of her bedroom. It said, “shhh…Baby Is Sleeping.” Well, at the time nothing could have been further from the truth! Our little girl was a little bit of an insomniac – like her mama. At least, during the day. (She was a night owl – again, like her mama – but once she was in bed for the night, she slept.) We were a little surprised during those first few days and weeks, when our friends’ newborns all seemed to sleep all day, ours was wide awake. She was perfectly content to sit and watch the world around her – just taking in her new surroundings. We had a good laugh over the gift, and hung it on her door anyway.

It is still hanging there, on her doorknob. And, over the last several months it has become a fairly accurate statement. “Naptime” is now a consistent event in our house!

It took some time (and a few tears) to convince her that a nap was not a bad thing. I truly believe that she thinks she is going to miss out on something exciting by taking her naps. But, she needs the rest. And, now that they have become a regular part of her day, she rarely fights them. In fact, she is usually rubbing her eyes and yawning as naptime approaches!

When I was little, I didn’t like to nap either. My mom would always say, “You don’t have to go to sleep, you just have to rest.” In college, the nights could be quite short, and an occasional nap became something of a survival technique. One of my professors once told me, “‘Nap’ is not a four-letter word.”

I am (finally) beginning to understand the wisdom and truth in both of those statements. Naps are definitely not a bad thing. In fact, they are very good! Some days I am tempted to join Hannah – and crawl back in bed for a nice, 2-hour nap. But, I don’t. There are dishes to be put away, floors to be swept, laundry to be folded, bathrooms to be cleaned…and the list goes on. It is easier to get these things done while she is sleeping, so that I can just enjoy her when she wakes up.

But, I also like to take advantage of the time that she is sleeping, and rest. I love to sit down with a cup of coffee and my Bible, or a good book. (I am currently reading When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight for Joy, by John Piper, and The Mother at Home, by John S.C. Abbott.) In Matthew 11:28 Jesus says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” I still don’t sleep during naptime. But, I do try to rest. I spend time with the Lord, and in His Word. He gives me the strength to get through each day. I am a much better mommy for Hannah after her nap – after we’ve both had some rest.