Saturday Morning Message: Thoughts on Napping

Good morning,

Survivors find that sleep can be difficult when grieving. Sometimes taking a nap can be helpful especially when sleep escapes us during the night. Napping is one of the things we naturally do as children, but not as adults. I have found it helpful when I have had a rough night or I need to stay up later than usual, like when I moderate a TAPS online chat. Napping isn’t for everyone, especially those who have to be at work, so I have included additional ideas to get more rest when your sleep is broken at the end of this message.

Remember, you can write to me anytime — to contribute, subscribe or if you have thoughts on what could make the Saturday Morning Message more helpful. I look forward to hearing from you. My email address is online@taps.org.

Hugs,
Carol Lane
Mother of Bryon

Answers from Survivors

Responses from Survivors to last week's question: How often do you take a nap? And does it help you to recharge and feel refreshed?

From Leslie, mother of Eugene: I call them power naps. Set the clock for about 25 minutes. Then I find after a 25-minute nap, I am refreshed and ready to continue what I was too tired to do before the nap. I think it would be smart for corporations to have a nap room or even a meditation room. Not only does it help with the stress, but it helps with productivity. I think it’s a win-win situation all the way around.

From Sandra, mother of Josh: I take a nap almost every day. It is a necessity. I go to sleep late and wake up early. I am a six-hour sleeper but I need eight hours of sleep and can make it up with a nap. I have tried to alter my bedtime and delete my naps many times throughout the years to no avail. After my nap, I definitely feel refreshed and energized. I wake up, fix a mug of hot tea, do some chores, run some errands or start cooking dinner. It is like waking up to a new day. Also, a nap boosts my immune system and is beneficial to my mental and physical wellbeing. In regards to grief, a nap is definitely one more necessary tool in self care that is much needed in coping with the loss of a loved one. If I am unable to nap, I will feel grumpy, fatigued, and more emotional. Naps can be very important to our grief journey.

If you would like to send a message thanking one or all of those who participated in this week’s Saturday Morning Message, send it to me at online@taps.org and I will make sure your thoughts are passed along to them.

Question for Next Week’s Saturday Morning Message 

TAPS has been working with the nonprofit Roots and American Music Society to create an album of songs connected to survivors. On March 20, 2020, the single, “Love Lives On” will be released. So let’s make next week’s Saturday Morning Message all about music. What song has helped you on your grief journey? Tell us a little bit about how it helped. We look forward to your responses. 

The Saturday Morning Message was created so survivors can share questions and read how others respond. By sharing coping strategies, together we become stronger. I am always looking for questions for future messages. You never know how your words may touch the heart of another. I encourage you to reply to the Saturday Morning Message by emailing online@taps.org. I directly receive all responses that are sent to this address. In order to have your reply included, it is best to send your response to me by Tuesday morning of the following week. Thank you to everyone responding this week and those who read this message.

♫ Song for the Week

Some people find listening to music helpful to calm our minds when sleep comes hard, so this week’s song section includes a group of relaxing sleep music pieces. We hope you will find them helpful.

You can send your favorite songs for this song of the week section at online@taps.org and include a note about why the song is meaningful to you. 

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