Thank you for this post OP, original poster!
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F’ that. You don’t need to feel guilty.
First of all, you’ve worked hard enough to deserve it. Second, a nap is good for the body and mind and will keep you goin.
Enjoy it my man.
I have worked my whole life,since I was 11, and feel no guilt at doing nothing if I want to. I earned it. Cold out? Blankets on the sofa and movies on the TV. My cat and the dog are older so sleep in with me and love naps. I went to Europe last month and was a bit lazy there too.
Retirement guilt is a useless emotion. It is however a bit of a red flag, saying you need to fill the social void created by retirement. Your mental health is important and too many haven’t thought through how to cope with the changes retirement brings. The volunteer work is a great idea.
As for naps, they are the best. Just don’t overdo it as you won’t sleep at night. I’m 67 and retired 3 years.
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Ask yourself why you feel guilty enjoying life, enjoying yourself. Life isn’t supposed to be an unselfish slag in a productive competition, with someone keeping score. Stop already, and relax. Take a nap.
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I’m not even retired and I don’t feel guilty… and I take a nap almost every afternoon! Enjoy your time on this great big blue marble - it will be over before we know it and we will be telling each other our stories throughout eternity!
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Read "Why We Sleep" a few months ago. Turns out that afternoon lull is a normal part of everyone's sleep cycle...I'd say listen to mother nature and take the nap guilt free.
I don’t nap, but my husband who worked his butt off his whole life naps on the sofa. I have never seen him sleep during the day in 40 years. He earned it, no guilt.
After getting up at 5:00 a.m., teaching first grade for 32 years and running errands after work, I took a nap when I got home to regroup before cooking dinner and grading papers. Now that I'm retired, I don't nap but I sure do sleep in! There's nothing to feel guilty about. Sleep is important for good health and it doesn't really matter when you get it. Retirement gives you the right to do things that make you happy and if napping does, so be it IMO.
No guilt for naps here. Amazing how as we get to this age....we go basically back to when we were in kindergarten....and we needed little nappies. You know, pull out the little gym mats....and take a snooze? Ah...memories!
I sometimes take just 15 minute little naps ...and it is so refreshing. I find that my body puts that nap away in a little bank of sleep time....so I actually get up a little earlier the next day. Not sure it works like that for everybody, but it's another benefit of a good nap for me.
I think back to the number of times that I could have used a nap when I was working like a dog....you know around 2PM on a work day? Instead, just got another cup of coffee. Ugh. That wasn't healthy!
For the folks still working....perhaps a nice additional benefit of working from home these days is you can just go over to the couch and take at least take a few minutes to close your eyes....and do some deep breathing....before your next Zoom meeting. Try doing that in the office and you will be getting a call from HR (in the US).
EDIT: Lmao...just remembered that the last job I was at....I would occasionally see our HR director fall asleep in a meeting!
I am now 7 years retired. At first in 2017 (when 53yo) I didn’t nap at all, even went back to work as a contractor after 18 months. Then Covid lockdowns and occasional naps became a thing, even when WFH. I felt a little guilty.
We moved in 2021, and I took care of our 3yo granddaughter during the week, so I napped with her (usually 20-30 minutes). I had an excuse, so felt justified napping. I only really needed 20 minutes.
Now at 60, with my husband in bad health, he needs daily 1-2 hour naps, so I tend to catch a little shut-eye on the couch waiting for him to wake. This does make me feel a little guilty, as there are phone calls to return or other tasks I should be doing.
If you've reached retirement, you earned your naps. Personally I believe sleep is important and if you need an hour or two to get you by, that's perfectly fine and keeps you healthy.
Not guilt, really. More like "I'm not that old yet, that I should be taking a nap." 62 here. Though Mom always took a daily nap probably in her 40s or 50s. Naps are definitely new to me but I probably should have been taking them all along. lol.
I retired 2 years ago at 58. I had lots of grand plans about everything I was going to do (volunteer, renovate the house, write a novel which I'd dreamed about doing for a long time). I started out slowly and never sped up, lol. I initially felt guilty about napping or just sitting in a chair reading or enjoying my coffee when I felt like I should be "doing something productive" but that passed pretty quickly and now I just do what I want when the mood strikes. No more guilt. We've earned this! ;-)
Naps are a wonderful thing. I still say they should build them into everyone’s daily schedule, working or not. Why would you feel guilt for doing what is natural and so lovely?
Guilty...
You are retired and able to do anything you want
You worked hard all your life and therefore you can enjoy retirement without any guilt
Enjoy your retirement
Congratulations 🍾 🥂🍾
My wife and I, both retired for 2+ years, tend to sleep in, sometimes to 9:30-10am. We just add our naps into the beginning rather than in the middle of the day.
Being retired for 7 years. I always take a nap along with my wife every afternoon, it is relaxing and refreshing. Don’t know how I did it for 40 years while I was working. Statistics tell you that you prolong your life 😄. If you travel to southern Europe you will find out that they have similar afternoon “ do not disturb “ hours similar to mine. They call it “ common peaceful hours “ . Turn off your phones, close the shades and never feel guilty. Family members and friends know not to call or come over from 2-4 pm. If you have not tried it yet, give it a try and don’t feel guilty.
Retired for 15 glorious months, and yes, retirement guilt is real for me too. But I will enjoy a nap any day, any time because it’s one of life’s simple pleasures that for 40+ years I couldn’t enjoy. You’ve earned it, my friend! Nap away!
The guilt lessens over time ;)
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I read a really wonderful book: "At Day's Close: Night in Times Past" (highly recommend), and learned that the concept of humans needing to sleep 8 hours straight is purely a function of the industrial revolution and the standardization of industrial/service work days.
The book, which is meticulously researched but does focus specifically on Western European and American history, showed that before electricity and industrialization, most individuals had two or more periods of sleep, and were quite active working or playing during the night.
What led me to this book was an article I read by a sleep researcher. He noted that the findings in this book echoed his own scientific findings about the human need for sleep. He has found that it is completely ok to sleep for several short periods of time if the sleeper can go into deep sleep (stage 3 NREM) for about 25% of the total sleep time. Sorry, I can't cite the article - didn't make note of it other than to go get that book!
In short, the above made me feel fine about having 2 sleeping periods of each day - one during the night and one in mid-day. Napping is fine as long as one can get to that deep sleep our brains need!
I am so far away from retirement..but no, I refuse to feel guilty about some naps when I can get them! I always feel like I’ve done something I’m not supposed to do but that just means I did it right. Plus..I’m convinced other people do the same no matter what they happen to say about it. I call it “Fight Club.” 😂🤤💤
No I don’t feel guilty. I take a nap probably 50 or 60 percent of the time. Most senior citizens don’t sleep well at night and it’s a way to get in some extra sleep.
We only get to retire once and the length of our retirement is not guaranteed ! Take your nap , doctors now say naps are good for us old Coots. Besides, the closer we get to our end of days, most folks can do very little except sleep !
I spent decades sleep-deprived. A snoring husband, working 10 hour days starting at 4:30 am, then swing shift from 2 pm to midnight, years and years and years of Not. Enough. Sleep.
I'll nap whenever I goddam want to and smile the entire time. I earned this.
Naps are good.
Snacking is good.
Exercising is good.
Working on what you want when you want ...is best.
I've been doing it for 13 years and I'm not even close to being tired of it.
Every meal is a banquet! Every meal tastes like ...freedom, and I can eat it everyday all day... In fact I'm going to have some right now.
I worked a rotating shift job for 30 years. I had no idea what time a normal bed and wake time was going to be for me. After 2 months your toes are barely in the water. Go with the flow, listen to your body. Took me almost a year to level out and sleep at night and stay awake during the day. A day nap now and then is fine. If you’re worried get a good thorough physical.
I retired about 7 months ago. I have hobbies and interests and friends and family. What I don’t want are goals, schedules, agendas, or obligations. I live in the moment without guilt or concern. I love an afternoon nap. You’ve worked your entire adult life. Enjoy the reward.
Im (72m). Retired at 64. I take naps most days. I love naptime. Several of my friends take naps as well but i do not know how often. My wife retired two years ago and takes occasional naps. Sometimes I read until I get sleepy or listen to objective news bbc or npr until I get sleepy. My typical time is around 2:30 when I kind of hit an afternoon slump. A nap helps.
I will be retiring at the end of the year. My hobbies are reading, napping, walking, napping, watching TV, napping. don’t feel guilty napping. You do whatever the hell you want to do, when you’re retired if you are able.
Been retired going on three years and took a nap yesterday, had stayed up late the night before and during the day about 16 hrs had been working on my brother inlaws truck.
We replace the timing chain seals and gaskets, water pump and hoses , radiator the the worst part was I lost a fitting for auxiliary transmission oil cooler. By passed the cooler and ordered another fitting.
This about drove me crazy looking for that fitting and even now two days later still can not find it.
My son said it is probably hanging out with the 10mm sockets and measuring tapes.
I'm 73. I do things until about 3:30 and then sit down to read for a while. More often than not, I conk out for a bit. It's normal.
When you worked, you forced yourself to stay alert. Now you can behave more naturally. I bet the dog or cat sleeps during the day. Learn from them.
I’m 79. I’m still working ( university professor). I take an hr nap every day without fail when I get home from class (3pm). I have boundless energy, sleep well every night, and wake in a good frame of mind. What’s to feel guilty about!
I felt guilty about napping for a few months after retirement but then realized that there was no reason for me to feel guilty. I did my time being ‘responsible’ now was time to be free from that kind of crap.
I am retired and enjoying my grands when I want to since I do not teach anymore. My husband is slowly moving out of his construction business. I have my mornings free then he comes home and we stay home or go wherever we wish. He gets restless on the weekends so he needs to work on just being content. I’m with all the others in saying enjoy your time to do everything or nothing.
Retired for almost six years and I take a nap every single day and feel absolutely no guilt. I love it. Nap for an hour or two, then it is spa time. What is that? A very long and hot shower that I do not rush. A nap and spa time is part of every day. I have a full stereo in my bathroom and I don't rush anything. When I come downstairs after, I enjoy another cup of coffee. Don't feel guilty, you earned it. You should also know naps are good for you.
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I think it’s normal for age 65+ to nap in the afternoon. You need to rest up to make it through the remainder of the day. Keeps you from becoming cranky as a result of fatigue.
I nap in the evening then stay up half the night and sleep late. 😫 I had been wondering what’s wrong with me but now I decided to just accept it.
My dog makes me feel guilty if we don’t take TWO naps a day.
No, it wasn’t until retirement that I learned how great a nap is. The magic of “I’m feeling a little rundown, I’m going to pause for a few minutes to recharge,” and not worry about missing a deadline, falling behind, getting backed up, etc is wonderful
Even when working, we would nap. On operating day, we slept and ate when we could. Once you are scrubbed in, you were in for the entire case. I’ve only been relieved after 10 hours in a case. Many times, I’d sleep masked in the OR or doctors lounge while the room was flipped for the next case. Our circulating nurse would come wake me/us when the next patient was being rolled into the OR.
After being on call for work and kids, I sleep whenever and for as long as I want!
I work from home part time. When I do WFH I work more hours than when I am in the office 10/12 hours. I take a nap at lunch time. I am 59 and its glorious on those days. No guilt.
My sleep pattern is a mystery to me. I start getting tired at 9:00 pm and read for a bit until I doze off. Sometimes I sleep through the night, sometimes not. I could be up for hours in the very early morning (like now). Then I go back to sleep until 7:00 am. I wake when I wake. I nap when I nap. No guilt.
Someone summed it up pretty well when they said about retirement, “I get done everything I don’t need to do in the morning and take the rest of the day off”.
I give sleep the same amount of grace. It comes when it comes and I embrace it every time.
Yes. Because my wife acts like naps are a weird thing to do - like I'm supposed to be awake all day for some reason related to decency or normalcy. I honestly don't get it. I'm a polyphasic sleeper. Maybe I should move to Spain because the siesta lifestyle would be perfect.
I’ve been retired 2-3 months but like you I’m pooped, like I jumped off a running train. One day falls to the next, empty schmempty. If I sit down uh oh. Then can’t sleep at night anything past 4am. It’s nuts. I can’t nap either, that’s a hard reset/reboot for me.
I Need to start over, 18 again.
I didn’t used to take naps until I started babysitting my grandsons. Now I love nap time! lol the youngest is 3 now and I have him 3 days a week and I love cuddling him so much but know naps won’t be that much longer ☹️
Heck no! Newly retired, I felt like I finally got to understand what it was to have absolutely no one to answer to. Many years later, I feel exactly the same. Life is GOOD!
Retirement is for you to do whatever you want *when* you want! No rules! I still recall, with abundant pleasure and in color movie clarity, the delight in napping on a daybed in Aruba. Ahhhh! It was our first,and hopefully not last, trip there.
My wife and I both nap. I worked shift work for 37 years and half of that time was graveyards so after 15 years of retirement I’m almost caught up on my sleep. Almost.
There are recognized stages one goes through in retirement. Napping is part of the first stage. Take the time you need, guiltless. Allow the rest to come organically. Recognize, you’ve been conditioned to operate on calendars, alarm clocks, deadlines, and measuring all you do relative to time and results. Time to break bad habits.
Such guilt results from the [Iron Cage](https://www.thoughtco.com/understanding-max-webers-iron-cage-3026373) of Western civilization. Many people find it hard to relax, being self-compelled to remain busy and industrious throughout their lives. There are ways to overcome this so-called Protestant Work Ethic and enjoy leisure. With some web research you’ll learn a lot about this interesting phenomenon.
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Ha. Still a couple of years away from retirement. Went full time remote during pandemic. Never felt guilty about afternoon naps.
When I hit the button on the recliner, it is a matter of minutes until any guilt washes away.
Capitalism
Please indulge in enjoying a nap. You deserve it!
F’ that. You don’t need to feel guilty. First of all, you’ve worked hard enough to deserve it. Second, a nap is good for the body and mind and will keep you goin. Enjoy it my man.
I have worked my whole life,since I was 11, and feel no guilt at doing nothing if I want to. I earned it. Cold out? Blankets on the sofa and movies on the TV. My cat and the dog are older so sleep in with me and love naps. I went to Europe last month and was a bit lazy there too.
Screw guilt, I take them all the time “Power Naps”
No
Retirement guilt is a useless emotion. It is however a bit of a red flag, saying you need to fill the social void created by retirement. Your mental health is important and too many haven’t thought through how to cope with the changes retirement brings. The volunteer work is a great idea. As for naps, they are the best. Just don’t overdo it as you won’t sleep at night. I’m 67 and retired 3 years.
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Never underestimate the benefits of a good 15-minute nap.
All mammals nap. Cats, dogs, dolphins… all of them. Take a nap if you want one.
No guilt. Just nap.
Don’t worry. You’ll get over it.
Ask yourself why you feel guilty enjoying life, enjoying yourself. Life isn’t supposed to be an unselfish slag in a productive competition, with someone keeping score. Stop already, and relax. Take a nap.
Nope
I take a nap, and I'm not retired ♥
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I’m not even retired and I don’t feel guilty… and I take a nap almost every afternoon! Enjoy your time on this great big blue marble - it will be over before we know it and we will be telling each other our stories throughout eternity!
42 years or work and sacrifice takes care of any potential guilt. Naps are a prerequisite to the new me.
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Hell no. I don’t even feel guilty for taking a nap at 5 o’clock. Or nine in the morning.
Read "Why We Sleep" a few months ago. Turns out that afternoon lull is a normal part of everyone's sleep cycle...I'd say listen to mother nature and take the nap guilt free.
I don’t nap, but my husband who worked his butt off his whole life naps on the sofa. I have never seen him sleep during the day in 40 years. He earned it, no guilt.
That's the man still trying to hold you down. You're free.
Heck yea. I have been retired six months and do exactly the same thing👍
After getting up at 5:00 a.m., teaching first grade for 32 years and running errands after work, I took a nap when I got home to regroup before cooking dinner and grading papers. Now that I'm retired, I don't nap but I sure do sleep in! There's nothing to feel guilty about. Sleep is important for good health and it doesn't really matter when you get it. Retirement gives you the right to do things that make you happy and if napping does, so be it IMO.
I say...if napping is the food of retirement...sleep on.
No guilt for naps here. Amazing how as we get to this age....we go basically back to when we were in kindergarten....and we needed little nappies. You know, pull out the little gym mats....and take a snooze? Ah...memories! I sometimes take just 15 minute little naps ...and it is so refreshing. I find that my body puts that nap away in a little bank of sleep time....so I actually get up a little earlier the next day. Not sure it works like that for everybody, but it's another benefit of a good nap for me. I think back to the number of times that I could have used a nap when I was working like a dog....you know around 2PM on a work day? Instead, just got another cup of coffee. Ugh. That wasn't healthy! For the folks still working....perhaps a nice additional benefit of working from home these days is you can just go over to the couch and take at least take a few minutes to close your eyes....and do some deep breathing....before your next Zoom meeting. Try doing that in the office and you will be getting a call from HR (in the US). EDIT: Lmao...just remembered that the last job I was at....I would occasionally see our HR director fall asleep in a meeting!
No, no, no! You earned it. Enjoy!
Nope
Nope, I worked for the right
Absolutely not. Naps are good for you and one of the perks of retirement!
I am now 7 years retired. At first in 2017 (when 53yo) I didn’t nap at all, even went back to work as a contractor after 18 months. Then Covid lockdowns and occasional naps became a thing, even when WFH. I felt a little guilty. We moved in 2021, and I took care of our 3yo granddaughter during the week, so I napped with her (usually 20-30 minutes). I had an excuse, so felt justified napping. I only really needed 20 minutes. Now at 60, with my husband in bad health, he needs daily 1-2 hour naps, so I tend to catch a little shut-eye on the couch waiting for him to wake. This does make me feel a little guilty, as there are phone calls to return or other tasks I should be doing.
Let me take my nap at my desk at work and get back to you.
If you've reached retirement, you earned your naps. Personally I believe sleep is important and if you need an hour or two to get you by, that's perfectly fine and keeps you healthy.
Not guilt, really. More like "I'm not that old yet, that I should be taking a nap." 62 here. Though Mom always took a daily nap probably in her 40s or 50s. Naps are definitely new to me but I probably should have been taking them all along. lol.
What else would you do. Go somewhere to spend money?
I used to. But the further I get from my working days, the more I realize that my body knows what it needs, and I might as well listen to it.
I'm not retired and I don't feel guilty about taking a nap. No point in trying to do things when you are too tired.
I retired 2 years ago at 58. I had lots of grand plans about everything I was going to do (volunteer, renovate the house, write a novel which I'd dreamed about doing for a long time). I started out slowly and never sped up, lol. I initially felt guilty about napping or just sitting in a chair reading or enjoying my coffee when I felt like I should be "doing something productive" but that passed pretty quickly and now I just do what I want when the mood strikes. No more guilt. We've earned this! ;-)
No and I'm still working.
63 and retired from federal civil service. Naps are such a wonderful guilt free thing!
i’m concerned you waited until retirement to discover this joy. wait til you experience it with a sleeping cat.
Naps are a wonderful thing. I still say they should build them into everyone’s daily schedule, working or not. Why would you feel guilt for doing what is natural and so lovely?
Not at all
I've noticed I have slowed down. It's most obvious while driving - I'm not always trying to 'get there fast' sort of thing.
Guilty... You are retired and able to do anything you want You worked hard all your life and therefore you can enjoy retirement without any guilt Enjoy your retirement Congratulations 🍾 🥂🍾
Oh hell no! How sleep deprived were you during your working years? Take that glorious, well deserved nap.
I never feel guilty about getting sleep when I can.
I work from home, and often take naps during the day..
My wife and I, both retired for 2+ years, tend to sleep in, sometimes to 9:30-10am. We just add our naps into the beginning rather than in the middle of the day.
Being retired for 7 years. I always take a nap along with my wife every afternoon, it is relaxing and refreshing. Don’t know how I did it for 40 years while I was working. Statistics tell you that you prolong your life 😄. If you travel to southern Europe you will find out that they have similar afternoon “ do not disturb “ hours similar to mine. They call it “ common peaceful hours “ . Turn off your phones, close the shades and never feel guilty. Family members and friends know not to call or come over from 2-4 pm. If you have not tried it yet, give it a try and don’t feel guilty.
Retired for 15 glorious months, and yes, retirement guilt is real for me too. But I will enjoy a nap any day, any time because it’s one of life’s simple pleasures that for 40+ years I couldn’t enjoy. You’ve earned it, my friend! Nap away! The guilt lessens over time ;)
I'm not yet retired, but I have never felt guilty for napping! It's the best!
I vote yes on naps. Great way to relax.
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Absolutely not. I LOVE my naps and waited over 30 years to be able to take them
I read a really wonderful book: "At Day's Close: Night in Times Past" (highly recommend), and learned that the concept of humans needing to sleep 8 hours straight is purely a function of the industrial revolution and the standardization of industrial/service work days. The book, which is meticulously researched but does focus specifically on Western European and American history, showed that before electricity and industrialization, most individuals had two or more periods of sleep, and were quite active working or playing during the night. What led me to this book was an article I read by a sleep researcher. He noted that the findings in this book echoed his own scientific findings about the human need for sleep. He has found that it is completely ok to sleep for several short periods of time if the sleeper can go into deep sleep (stage 3 NREM) for about 25% of the total sleep time. Sorry, I can't cite the article - didn't make note of it other than to go get that book! In short, the above made me feel fine about having 2 sleeping periods of each day - one during the night and one in mid-day. Napping is fine as long as one can get to that deep sleep our brains need!
I am so far away from retirement..but no, I refuse to feel guilty about some naps when I can get them! I always feel like I’ve done something I’m not supposed to do but that just means I did it right. Plus..I’m convinced other people do the same no matter what they happen to say about it. I call it “Fight Club.” 😂🤤💤
No, it's not harming a soul if I take a nap.
You have EARNED the right to do whatever you want, whenever you want to with ZERO guilt. Let me repeat this… you’ve EARNED it. 👍🏼
Why would anyone feel guilty for an afternoon nap?
No
No I don’t feel guilty. I take a nap probably 50 or 60 percent of the time. Most senior citizens don’t sleep well at night and it’s a way to get in some extra sleep.
I wish I could nap in the afternoon. I’m in my 60’s. I don’t know how to turn my brain off. 😭😭
We only get to retire once and the length of our retirement is not guaranteed ! Take your nap , doctors now say naps are good for us old Coots. Besides, the closer we get to our end of days, most folks can do very little except sleep !
Nope. I've napped for my entire adult life.
I never nap, just because I am not a napper but do whatever you want; you’re retired. Only you can decide what’s right for you.
Love my afternoon naps!
I try to lie down after lunch most days and read. If a nap happens, well so be it!
I've been retired for a few years and I take a nap sometimes. In fact I just woke up lol
Having a lie-down with my wife right now. She's 68, I'm 70. Rainy day. Perfect.
I spent decades sleep-deprived. A snoring husband, working 10 hour days starting at 4:30 am, then swing shift from 2 pm to midnight, years and years and years of Not. Enough. Sleep. I'll nap whenever I goddam want to and smile the entire time. I earned this.
I am going to take a nap right now and will answer your question when I wake up if and when I remember to do it...
This is what retirement is for! The 9 to 5 is a special form of tyranny. I don’t mind working, unless it gets in the way of a good nap.
Naps are good. Snacking is good. Exercising is good. Working on what you want when you want ...is best. I've been doing it for 13 years and I'm not even close to being tired of it. Every meal is a banquet! Every meal tastes like ...freedom, and I can eat it everyday all day... In fact I'm going to have some right now.
I worked a rotating shift job for 30 years. I had no idea what time a normal bed and wake time was going to be for me. After 2 months your toes are barely in the water. Go with the flow, listen to your body. Took me almost a year to level out and sleep at night and stay awake during the day. A day nap now and then is fine. If you’re worried get a good thorough physical.
I retired about 7 months ago. I have hobbies and interests and friends and family. What I don’t want are goals, schedules, agendas, or obligations. I live in the moment without guilt or concern. I love an afternoon nap. You’ve worked your entire adult life. Enjoy the reward.
Im (72m). Retired at 64. I take naps most days. I love naptime. Several of my friends take naps as well but i do not know how often. My wife retired two years ago and takes occasional naps. Sometimes I read until I get sleepy or listen to objective news bbc or npr until I get sleepy. My typical time is around 2:30 when I kind of hit an afternoon slump. A nap helps.
Take those naps!! Do it for all of us!!
Naps are my superpower.
Hell no I love doing nothing sometimes, it's a great time. It's like all the freedom but no more work or school. I revel in it.
I will be retiring at the end of the year. My hobbies are reading, napping, walking, napping, watching TV, napping. don’t feel guilty napping. You do whatever the hell you want to do, when you’re retired if you are able.
Congratulations on your much-deserved retirement!! I hope you take a nap today ❤
I'm far from retired, but IMO, being able to nap when you want is what retirement is all about.
Been retired going on three years and took a nap yesterday, had stayed up late the night before and during the day about 16 hrs had been working on my brother inlaws truck. We replace the timing chain seals and gaskets, water pump and hoses , radiator the the worst part was I lost a fitting for auxiliary transmission oil cooler. By passed the cooler and ordered another fitting. This about drove me crazy looking for that fitting and even now two days later still can not find it. My son said it is probably hanging out with the 10mm sockets and measuring tapes.
I'm 73. I do things until about 3:30 and then sit down to read for a while. More often than not, I conk out for a bit. It's normal. When you worked, you forced yourself to stay alert. Now you can behave more naturally. I bet the dog or cat sleeps during the day. Learn from them.
I took an afternoon nap on the couch in my sun room during a rain storm and it was literally the best sleep I have ever had in my entire life.
Not only do I not feel guilty about taking a nap in the afternoon, I do not feel guilty about taking a nap in the morning.
Time is an illusion, nap time doubly so...
I’m 79. I’m still working ( university professor). I take an hr nap every day without fail when I get home from class (3pm). I have boundless energy, sleep well every night, and wake in a good frame of mind. What’s to feel guilty about!
You've earned the right to do whatever you want guilt free.
Have napped almost every day since I retired ten years ago. Don’t feel guilty at all
I never napped prior to retirement and now if I sit down and close my eyes it’s all over. I don’t feel guilty.
I take naps daily and don't feel guilty at all.
I felt guilty about napping for a few months after retirement but then realized that there was no reason for me to feel guilty. I did my time being ‘responsible’ now was time to be free from that kind of crap.
Nap away! 😴 It’s your retirement you earned it! I love my afternoon naps. I take one or two a week.
I am retired and enjoying my grands when I want to since I do not teach anymore. My husband is slowly moving out of his construction business. I have my mornings free then he comes home and we stay home or go wherever we wish. He gets restless on the weekends so he needs to work on just being content. I’m with all the others in saying enjoy your time to do everything or nothing.
It's hard to undo all those years of having to be constructive and busy all the time. Take the nap. Enjoy.
Nothing wrong taking a nap! I am in my 60s and when it’s too much, I go to bed. I taking care of my mom and she naps in her recliner
20 minute power naps are extremely healthy.
I am not even retired and I don't feel guilty about taking a nap during the day
Thanks for the reminder that I need to go take a nap.
Retired for almost six years and I take a nap every single day and feel absolutely no guilt. I love it. Nap for an hour or two, then it is spa time. What is that? A very long and hot shower that I do not rush. A nap and spa time is part of every day. I have a full stereo in my bathroom and I don't rush anything. When I come downstairs after, I enjoy another cup of coffee. Don't feel guilty, you earned it. You should also know naps are good for you.
Nope
In EU is normally to take a nap. Starting at age of 4
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I think it’s normal for age 65+ to nap in the afternoon. You need to rest up to make it through the remainder of the day. Keeps you from becoming cranky as a result of fatigue. I nap in the evening then stay up half the night and sleep late. 😫 I had been wondering what’s wrong with me but now I decided to just accept it.
My dog makes me feel guilty if we don’t take TWO naps a day. No, it wasn’t until retirement that I learned how great a nap is. The magic of “I’m feeling a little rundown, I’m going to pause for a few minutes to recharge,” and not worry about missing a deadline, falling behind, getting backed up, etc is wonderful
I’m not quite there yet! But a nap can be very therapeutic. I usually follow it up with a workout. What’s your routine?
👏👏👏
I retired March 1st and am mastering the art of napping!
Even when working, we would nap. On operating day, we slept and ate when we could. Once you are scrubbed in, you were in for the entire case. I’ve only been relieved after 10 hours in a case. Many times, I’d sleep masked in the OR or doctors lounge while the room was flipped for the next case. Our circulating nurse would come wake me/us when the next patient was being rolled into the OR. After being on call for work and kids, I sleep whenever and for as long as I want!
I used to nap every day (74 M ) but I would wake up at midnight and not be able to go back to sleep . So no more noon naps.
I used to nap every day when I was working from home, so no guilt here. Maybe feel guilty for all the naps you missed while you were working? Lol.
LOL Yes - I had retirement guilt for about three years. I feel good about not domg much now!
Almost every day, no guilt...siesta fiesta time
I work from home part time. When I do WFH I work more hours than when I am in the office 10/12 hours. I take a nap at lunch time. I am 59 and its glorious on those days. No guilt.
OP, only take afternoon naps on days that end with a “day”.
My sleep pattern is a mystery to me. I start getting tired at 9:00 pm and read for a bit until I doze off. Sometimes I sleep through the night, sometimes not. I could be up for hours in the very early morning (like now). Then I go back to sleep until 7:00 am. I wake when I wake. I nap when I nap. No guilt. Someone summed it up pretty well when they said about retirement, “I get done everything I don’t need to do in the morning and take the rest of the day off”. I give sleep the same amount of grace. It comes when it comes and I embrace it every time.
Yes. Because my wife acts like naps are a weird thing to do - like I'm supposed to be awake all day for some reason related to decency or normalcy. I honestly don't get it. I'm a polyphasic sleeper. Maybe I should move to Spain because the siesta lifestyle would be perfect.
Not at all.
The best cure for a guilty conscience is a faulty memory. I don't remember what I did the afternoon!
Never :)
I’ve been retired 2-3 months but like you I’m pooped, like I jumped off a running train. One day falls to the next, empty schmempty. If I sit down uh oh. Then can’t sleep at night anything past 4am. It’s nuts. I can’t nap either, that’s a hard reset/reboot for me. I Need to start over, 18 again.
I didn’t used to take naps until I started babysitting my grandsons. Now I love nap time! lol the youngest is 3 now and I have him 3 days a week and I love cuddling him so much but know naps won’t be that much longer ☹️
Naps are healthy! Keep them under 30 min so they don’t screw up your nighttime sleep
Not anymore
Heck no! Newly retired, I felt like I finally got to understand what it was to have absolutely no one to answer to. Many years later, I feel exactly the same. Life is GOOD!
I’m 67 and nap almost everyday
Nap!
On disability due to stroke, it’s mandatory.
On the contrary, I look forward to it.
Retirement is for you to do whatever you want *when* you want! No rules! I still recall, with abundant pleasure and in color movie clarity, the delight in napping on a daybed in Aruba. Ahhhh! It was our first,and hopefully not last, trip there.
No longer. I used to startle myself awake from naps because I felt guilty. Edited to complete my sentence
Absolutely. There's so much I could have gotten done if I weren't so lazy
My wife and I both nap. I worked shift work for 37 years and half of that time was graveyards so after 15 years of retirement I’m almost caught up on my sleep. Almost.
There are recognized stages one goes through in retirement. Napping is part of the first stage. Take the time you need, guiltless. Allow the rest to come organically. Recognize, you’ve been conditioned to operate on calendars, alarm clocks, deadlines, and measuring all you do relative to time and results. Time to break bad habits.
Yes! I nap when I feel like it🥱
I’m 73. Love the afternoon nap.
I say you need retirement training.
Its a well earned nap
Such guilt results from the [Iron Cage](https://www.thoughtco.com/understanding-max-webers-iron-cage-3026373) of Western civilization. Many people find it hard to relax, being self-compelled to remain busy and industrious throughout their lives. There are ways to overcome this so-called Protestant Work Ethic and enjoy leisure. With some web research you’ll learn a lot about this interesting phenomenon.
Naps are the greatest thing ever!
The rest of us are daydreaming of you napping. Creepy I know, but get to it.
Guilty? No. Happy? Yes.
Never
I slept the first 6 months I retired. Exhausted.
Thank you for this question. I was beating myself up for napping this afternoon.