5 mph

Here's the topic everyone over 50 may find embarassing: Sleep.
It's the dead of winter, and that doesn't help!
I ride every day and today , Friday, after two hours in the cold windy rain, I came back, ate lunch..looked at the icey grey sheets of rain outside, and yes, I nodded off at my computer and curled up on my office couch and with some guilt fell dead asleep and took a nap.
I'm still working and telecommuting , so here I am late at night, faithfully finishing up my work.
I will be honest, I enjoy riding everyday, but it sometimes I find myself fighting off a nap in the afternoon, which isn't always a bad thing, considering I wake at 4 30 am everyday.
I'm wondering if there are any Supermen in this group out there getting by on 6 hours a day and who never have the urge to nap?

Cyclist0100

I too put in a lot of miles and ride nearly every day. As a result, my sleep patterns have been disrupted. Most days I'm up between 3:30 and 4:30 am (not by choice). It hasn't been a big problem since I can't seem to stay awake past 9 pm. I haven't yet hit the afternoon "napping" phase, and I don't want to. When I was in kindergarten they made us take naps. It was horrible, and ever since I've always hated naps.

Rage

In my forties and I also nap most every afternoon. Have been doing so since the start of this thing.
Can only sleep two, three or four hours every twelve hours now.
Riding just about every day. Not sure if that has anything to do with it, though.

Prowler 

I'm not embarrassed at all. I consider taking a nap every day after lunch my way of thumbing my nose at the world. "Ha, ha, you gotta work but I'm taking a nap." Right on the floor, 1" Thermarest pad and a blanket, towel over my eyes. It's rarely more than an hour but very satisfying. For years towards the end of my, so called, career there were many times I would have paid $100 to get a nap after lunch. And I'm a real cheap ole fart. It got so I quit taking a lunch break. Too hard to go back to work and, by skipping lunch, I could knock off for the day earlier and go cycling. Excellent.

These days, the only days I skip the nap is the one day/week I work at the LBS and any day I'm on a nice long ride. I sure sleep well those nights.

KenCT

Nothing wrong with a quick afternoon nap, been doing it for years, even more so since I retired a 5 years ago. Typically 1 or 2 in the afternoon with me on the recliner, cat on the chair next to me and the dog on the couch. There are many articles published on the benefits of napping, here is one from the Mayo Clinic https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-l...g/art-20048319

Greenhil

A midday nap is common in many cultures. It makes sense. I find just a 5-10 minute “power nap” can be amazingly refreshing.

OldTryGuy

Last year I had more rides beginning at midnight or shortly after than beginning after sunrise. Hit the couch at 8:30/9pm, wake at 10:30/11pm and out the door midnight(+) for 35 miles to 100+ miles. COVID has cause very little change in riding habits due to solo rides having taken over my routine due to prostate cancer/treatment effects. A one time ride PULLER reduced to barely if at all hanging on.

Can't even live up to Toby Keith's "As Good As I Once Was" ......

Carbonfiberboy 

My wife and I have been taking an hour nap after lunch for many years. It's a good thing.

big john

Why would anyone find the topic of sleep embarrassing?

Rage

I usually don’t start my rides at midnight but chances are good I’m in the saddle around then. I usually start out around ten and am on my way back home around then. But, yeah, I like to ride at night as much as I do during the day.
Kind of weird, but I like a two or three hour ride in the morning and another before bed.
That might account for my weird sleep schedule.
Well, that and the fact that I’m unemployed and restless all the time lol.

deacon mark

I ride everyday if I can or at least run/race walk. I ride a lot of miles usually 50 a ride. I need at least 7-8 hours sleep sometimes more. I have no problem with naps at all take them at all hours during the day. One think I do though is I am early morning person. The deacon gets up with the Monks between 4-5 am most of the time. I have even lately been getting up as early as 3:30. I don't sleep for long periods without waking up always have done that. I don't get up but wake up at least every 1 or 2 hours at night.

I am not sure if bike riding does it but I also think it may contribute to the weirdness factor of being active. I do know that overdoing it and getting completely wiped out on a ride can make me very tired but does not mean I will sleep well at all usually worse. Sometime I go out at 4:45 am do a 50-60 mile ride come home an eat a huge brunch and then nap for at least an hour. That is all before 11 am.

I might add I can do that as a widower and retired. Even when my wife was with me we got up at 5am. I think naps are great and from what I gather ok for a person. I say if you are sleepy, take a nap if you can. Some times I fall asleep at after dinner at 7 pm and then get up at 10 and play the guitar for an hour or so and go back to sleep. I am a jazz guitarist in hiding at the moment.

One goal I have coming up as the morning sun gets earlier is to go out by 4 am so I can do a century and be done by 10am. I don't normally do centuries as such but doing one this way I get the rest of the day with a lot left.

sas GCDX

Very good, but I think that the OP was referring to an actual sleeping/nap and not an 'afternoon delight'.

Papa Tom

First of all, I thought the "S" word was something else, and I was considering publishing a really embarrassing personal story here to make you feel better!

Second, here in the Northeast, about two months ago, the one distraction many of us had from COVID and politics sort of went away due to colder weather and earlier nightfall. I was riding for my sanity up until the beginning of November, and then it just ended. Now, when I get home from work at 4:15, night is already falling - and by 5pm, it feels like midnight.

If you're anything like me, your wanting to nap has less to do with age and more to do with depression -- not the one with capital "D" that requires professional care, but the type that sets in with a lot of people this time of year. Lately, ALL I WANT TO DO is sleep when I'm not working, but I'm not concerned because I know this will all change when Spring comes back around.

Carbonfiberboy 

SAD - seasonal affective disorder. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-...s/syc-20364651
It's somewhat prevalent here in the PNW. Newcomers have been know to kill themselves. Some people just move away. Others have it figured out: you install bright full-spectrum fluorescents, usually in the kitchen or dining room. We have them in our whole first floor, a great room sort of thing. You want at least 100 lumens per sq. ft. There are also special SAD lamps, producing 10,000 lumens at 5500lK.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913518/
https://www.superbrightleds.com/blog...g-levels/6574/
https://blog.1000bulbs.com/home/beat...-with-lighting

gthomson

I agree with Papa Tom, long dark days, lack of sunshine, lock down from COVID 19, all make life a bit weary these days. Can't deny I have worse days then others. I don't miss getting up early and commuting into work but I do get weary of the repetitive days of never leaving the house except to grocery shop and when I'm lucky, ride. My sleep goes in patterns so sometimes I can go to bed at 10pm and sleep to 7am but other times I'm up at 4 or 5am and by 2pm the next day, I need a quick nap.

What annoys me is on days I go out and do a ton of outdoor activity, loads of fresh air and experts say I should sleep like a baby but instead, I'm looking at the ceiling at 4am????

5 mph

That's me durng the work week, . Like a switch goes off, I wake up at 4 30 am every morning. When I was your age, it was okay, and even fun, but now, close to 60, it hurts. A nap really helps.

5 mph

For me. you hit the nail on the head and its probably why I mentioned this topic. And my home office has those lamps.

This time of year my tools go unused, (I am addicted to tinkering , making and fixing things )and I dont take my family on weekend outings.

Others don't seem affected at all.

Flip Flop Rider

I actually plan for naps

canklecat

Naps are good. I often can't sleep continuously more than 4 hours or so due to neck and sinus problems -- I'll wake up with a headache and neck ache. So I tend to sleep a couple of times a day, often a long nap.

And my cats don't mind. They're pros at this napping stuff. They'll join me.

Speedway2

I've never taken naps during the afternoon/evening "intentionally". However, the few times it's happened is usually while on vacation down south, by the pool, lying under a canopy after a huge buffet lunch washed down by a few cold brews.

In the real world (now pushing 61) I still get a solid night sleep (~7hrs) and up at 6:45am to head off to work. Don't feel the need for a nap at all but when I hit the pillow at bed time the Wife says I'm out cold in 30secs. Pisses her off!......lol

John E

Your sleep schedule resembles mine. I get up a bit after 4am every morning and try to get to bed by 9pm. I rarely take an afternoon nap, but I'll do so to make up a sleep deficit or in response to a particularly heavy workout.

John E

7 hours is about right for me, as well, and by maintaining a 9pm to 4am schedule 7 days a week, I can usually fall asleep pretty promptly.

texaspandj

texaspandj

I think what the OP meant by embarrassing, is that generally naps are associated with baby's or old people.
Bitd top triathletes Mark Allen (probably the best triathlete of all time) and Scott Molina (probably the winniest triathlete of all time) said they took naps. Mark would take power naps 10- 15 min meanwhile Scott would nap 30 min- 1 hr. It made sense, in their prime, these guys were doing 2-4 miles swimming daily, 300-400 miles on the bike weekly, and 60-80 miles running weekly.
As we age our sleep schedule and requirements change. Generally we wake up earlier. Therefore we go to sleep earlier, otherwise we need a nap to stay up later.
Personally, I wake up about 5am and sometimes a bit earlier. If I don't get a nap in, I'll be grumpy or listless and won't feel like working out. I don't think I work out long or hard enough to warrant a nap but I do think I wake up early enough to require one.
Occasionally, I sleep late...I love those days.

tilsover

I never nap! Except during the evening TV news. Am I missing anything? Good riding to you!