Anxiety and napping

[Lost_in_life]

Just curious: has anyone noticed napping helping to alleviate anxiety? I'm not talking about it completely removing anxiety provoking thoughts. I talking more like it "taking the edge off" of a particularly high-anxiety day. It's weird because I can wake up in the morning and start feeling anxious within minutes, but when I take a nap in the late afternoon it seems to really help me. I still think about the things that were bothering me but they don't seem to be AS anxiety provoking as they did before the nap.

Does anyone else experience this? Any ideas what is going on? I don't think I'm particularly sleep deprived. I usually get 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep per night.

[AZ1970]

Perhaps your mind needs a break and a reset. Sleeping more than normal can be a part of depression as well.

[Lost_in_life in reply to AZ1970]

Yes to both notions. I try to resist napping because I feel like I might be "giving in" to my depression... but it sure does relieve my anxiety at times.

[AZ1970 in reply to Lost_in_life]

Do what works.

[Eowyn7]

I love afternoon naps to help with anxiety. Unfortunately naps don't really coexist with a 9-5 office job like mine, so sadly I can hardly ever take advantage. But definitely on weekends, I sometimes decide its easier to be asleep than deal with how stressed out I am!

[Lost_in_life in reply to Eowyn7]

Yes, well, one of the reasons I'm so anxious is that I no longer have a 9-5 job... or ANY job (!); so, that's not really a hindrance at this point (insert sheepish emoticon here). ;->

[car103 in reply to Lost_in_life]

Anxiety is exhausting. I nap. I also don't work and that likewise drives my anxiety. I'd like to be doing something which I think would be a big help but I just don't know what that is. Breaking free of my trauma is daunting. I have a psychiatrist (take meds), a talk therapist (we've done EMDR and Somatic Experiencing), an Acupuncturist, a Myofascial Release Therapist and I exercise with a personal trainer. All of the bases seem covered and I am still stuck. I read here always hoping someone is going to share a solution that will work for me as well. In the meanwhile - I nap.