Is is a sin to sleep for "entertainment"?

[houston1]

I must admit. I really enjoying sleeping. If given the opportunity, I will take a nap. Being a stay-at-home mom, I often nap while my toddler is napping. I also get a decent amount of sleep at night since my husband wakes up with our toddler. So, I cannot declare that I am sleep deprived.

Is it a sin to do this? Is there a rule of thumb to follow (e.g., one can only have 8 hours a night or less)? If it makes a difference, I keep up with my house cleaning, family finances, etc.

Thanks!

 

[Glennon_P]

As long as you are keeping up with your other obligations, I see no reason not to enjoy your ZZZZZZs.

There are few things in life as satisfying as a good afternoon nap (not that I’ve had the chance to enjoy one since our eldest child arrived 17 years ago) but the fond memories do linger!

 

[CCM08]

It would seem more profitable to use your waking homes for more productive tasks than sleeping when there is no need. Is it always a sin to eat something just for the pleasure of it? Probably not, but it certainly is when it becomes a regular habit. Life is too short to waste it sleeping away your time. The other side is that when one is sleeping enough at night and still wanting to nap it’s usually a sign that something is wrong with the individual. No one really “enjoys” sleeping. It’s refreshing when needed in much the same way it is refreshing to go to the restroom when you need to. That doesn’t make the elimination of waste a recreational activity.

 

[emily47017]

no one really enjoys sleeping? oh, man! ask around!

i adore sleeping. i don’t always get my tasks out of the way first, though. i’m probably going to hell for napping.

 

[puzzleannie]

I must admit. I really enjoying sleeping. If given the opportunity, I will take a nap. Is it a sin to do this? Thanks!

now I have heard everything, first yelling at your kids is a mortal sin, now taking a nap while the baby sleeps is a sin? what next, serving mac and cheese from a box instead of scratch is a sin? No, dear it is not a sin, and you would not sleep if you didn’t need it. If there is a rule of thumb it is an average anyway, nothing that applies to every person in every situation, and in any case, medical advice is not moral theology. Besides, how can a nap be entertainment for you? although the kids find it entertaining: trying to “be quiet because mommy is resting” with loud whispers and ominous banging, or checking her eyelids every few minutes.

 

[CCM08]

no one really enjoys sleeping? oh, man! ask around!

i adore sleeping. i don’t always get my tasks out of the way first, though. i’m probably going to hell for napping.

People enjoy feeling refreshed after sleeping, as for sleeping itself it is impossible to enjoy something when you aren’t even aware. Is taking a nap neccessary wrong? No, but when one oversleeps it is. It’s not a sin to eat, but it certainly is to over eat. It’s not a sin to play a computer game, but if that’s all you ever do then it is. After getting a full night’s sleep if one spends parts of each day, or most days, napping then that certainly is a matter of over indulgence. Whether one goes to hell for it is, thankfully, not up to any person.

 

[cmt]

I must admit. I really enjoying sleeping. If given the opportunity, I will take a nap. Being a stay-at-home mom, I often nap while my toddler is napping. I also get a decent amount of sleep at night since my husband wakes up with our toddler. So, I cannot declare that I am sleep deprived.

Is it a sin to do this? Is there a rule of thumb to follow (e.g., one can only have 8 hours a night or less)? If it makes a difference, I keep up with my house cleaning, family finances, etc.

Thanks!

No it is not a sin. Period! You may discover in later years the reason you needed extra sleep is because your body demands it. And by entertainment I know what you mean… Sleep is heavenly entertainment.

 

[ThuribleGuy45]

People enjoy feeling refreshed after sleeping, as for sleeping itself it is impossible to enjoy something when you aren’t even aware. Is taking a nap neccessary wrong? No, but when one oversleeps it is. It’s not a sin to eat, but it certainly is to over eat. It’s not a sin to play a computer game, but if that’s all you ever do then it is. After getting a full night’s sleep if one spends parts of each day, or most days, napping then that certainly is a matter of over indulgence. Whether one goes to hell for it is, thankfully, not up to any person.

I once caught hell for oversleeping as an altar boy, but I didn’t think I was risking hell for oversleeping as an adult. Since, unlike eating, sleeping isn’t so much a voluntary activity - i.e., most people can’t will themselves to sleep if the body doesn’t want to - I would think that excesive sleeping is more likely a physical or psychological problem such as chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or depression.

Somebody - anybody - please tell me that we haven’t gotten so scrupulous around here that how much we sleep has become a cause to fear damnation.

 

[emily47017]

People enjoy feeling refreshed after sleeping, as for sleeping itself it is impossible to enjoy something when you aren’t even aware.

no, it’s the curling up in bed, pulling up the covers (i like a lot of covers), letting the dog get up and lie against your legs, feeling the sun coming through the open window… deep breath… aaaahhhhhhhhh… when you feel that slowing and dipping that indicates you’re starting to fall asleep, that’s the best part. plus the dreams you have when napping are qualitatively different from the dreams you have at night. today i dreamed about building a labyrinth in the back yard.

why don’t you believe us when we say we like it? you can’t explain away sensuousness.

i have a friend who for a while went around polling people, “if you had to give up either sex or eating, which would you choose?” she specified that cuddling would still be okay, and smelling and licking food would also still be okay. some people were confused by the question, some had a definite answer, and some just absolutely could not choose.

i guess sleeping, too, is like that. if you feel it, you feel it.

 

[Liberanosamalo]

As a SAHM I have a different take here. You may think you are getting enough sleep at night, but having actually had children myself I know this: when you watch children all day, you are constantly being attentive to the needs of others. You are watching for problems, choking, need for diapers, need to intervene, making sure they are all present and accounted for, handling all the household tasks, the ringing phone, the blaring tv, the dog barking, the yelling, the incessant need for attention and cuddling from a small child, the laundry, the car needing gas, bringing the food in from shopping, preparing breakfast, lunch, dinner, cleaning up breakfast, lunch, dinner, more diapers, the broken washing machine…

I could go on. In short, you may have gotten enough “sleep” the night before (or not) but during the day you can go on sensory overload without the chance to pause, collect your thoughts, or sit back and relax for three minutes before the next responsibility takes center stage. One of my sisters couldn’t go to the bathroom alone even for two years because her little son had the world’s biggest mommy attachment and would bang on the door and scream until she opened it. (Happily, he is quite over that stage now.)

Your need for a nap in the middle of the 24/7 job you do (and no man who has worked in an office and comes home expecting dinner on the table can quite understand this) is NOT an indulgence or laziness or a sin, or a misuse of time that could be spent more productively. When you’re always on duty as a mother, you ARE spending your time productively. If the kids are still alive at the end of the day and the house didn’t burn down, you’ve done your job well! Now do it again tomorrow and the next day and the next for the next 18 years.

I understand completely that it actually feels GOOD to go lie down and rest the unseen strains in the back and neck muscles from hoisting children and laundry and groceries all day, and to take a few minutes and let the mind go blank (if you don’t lie there and plan your shopping list for later or balance your checkbook mentally). That nap that some may think is overindulgent is a necessary refresher before you start up the rest of the day and all of its repetitive but necessary activities.

Don’t feel guilty. Even Christ knew He needed to take time apart from His followers for rest. It will make you a better, more patient mother.

 

[houston1]

I appreciate all your responses. They give me a little more perspective on my situation. I would also like to know whether the Church has discussed this issue in any of their writings. Can anyone post any documentation on this?

Thanks for your help!

 

[puzzleannie]

the only story that leaps to mind is that of the kid with the long name beginning with E who was sitting on a windowsill while St. Paul preached a long sermon. He fell asleep, fell out of the window and was killed, and the saint of course brought him back to life.

 

[Catholig]

no one really enjoys sleeping? oh, man! ask around!

i adore sleeping. i don’t always get my tasks out of the way first, though. i’m probably going to hell for napping.

I thought your post was pretty funny until the last line…

catholig

 

[CCM08]

no, it’s the curling up in bed, pulling up the covers (i like a lot of covers), letting the dog get up and lie against your legs, feeling the sun coming through the open window… deep breath… aaaahhhhhhhhh… when you feel that slowing and dipping that indicates you’re starting to fall asleep, that’s the best part. plus the dreams you have when napping are qualitatively different from the dreams you have at night. today i dreamed about building a labyrinth in the back yard.

why don’t you believe us when we say we like it? you can’t explain away sensuousness.

Because it’s exactly like saying that because you feel good after going to the bathroom when you really have to you should eat laxitives so you can have that feeling more than you need to. Again, there is a huge difference between an occassional nap and something that is done every, or even most, days. When you want to sleep that much it’s generally a sign of pyschological and/or medical problems. Clinical depression is often characterized by a strong desire to sleep all the time for example.

i have a friend who for a while went around polling people, “if you had to give up either sex or eating, which would you choose?” she specified that cuddling would still be okay, and smelling and licking food would also still be okay. some people were confused by the question, some had a definite answer, and some just absolutely could not choose.

i guess sleeping, too, is like that. if you feel it, you feel it.

One can live without sex, one cannot live without food. As such it would be better to enjoy cuddling and be alive then to simply be dead.

 

[Digitonomy]

When you want to sleep that much it’s generally a sign of pyschological and/or medical problems.

I suspect you’re not from a country where daily siesta is a tradition.

houston1:

I would also like to know whether the Church has discussed this issue in any of their writings.

In the early Church you will probably not find much positive said about sleep. Although on some level it was known that we can’t avoid sleep, through much of history I don’t think a very clear line was drawn between sleep and sloth. Napolean at one point recommended “six hours of sleep for a man, seven for a woman and eight for a fool”. I read years ago that Napolean thought sleep was completely unnecessary, and set out to prove it - he zonked out after several days. However I can’t seem to find it now - it may not be true.

The understanding that sleep is healthful, and that most people could use more sleep than they are currently getting, that daily naps increase alertness and productivity at work, is all pretty recent.

 

[Cat]

Don’t listen to CCM08. I am absolutely appalled. In fact, this is the closest that I have come to getting mad at a poster on this Forum. How dare this person criticize a young mother for doing something that is sensible and healthy?

For a young mother with a toddler, it is not a sign of physical or psychological disorder to be sleepy and take a nap. It is a sign of great wisdom.

Every health professional I know says to “sleep when your baby sleeps.” A toddler is even harder to take care of then a baby, and if yours is taking a nap, excellent. Take advantage of it and sleep.

I think of all the times that I used to say “No” to my husband because I was too tired at night for lovemaking when I had young children at home. I wish that I had taken advantage of my daughter’s nap times and taken a nap myself instead of trying to be “productive.”

You are a very wise wife and mother to take care of your body and mind by giving both adequate sleep.

 

[Liberanosamalo]

Those who have taken care of small children know how exhausting such vigilance can be, even when you’re not aware of it. You turn your back and they’re into something else. (What, they’re about to eat a dead wasp near the windowsill? How did that get there? Aren’t we glad we came to look when it got so quiet for 35 seconds…)

No psychological problems or medical maladies. Just exhaustion. And having your sleep broken during the night can further the problem.

 

[AnonymousOne]

I also get a decent amount of sleep at night since my husband wakes up with our toddler. So, I cannot declare that I am sleep deprived.

Maybe the very reason you can’t declare that you’re sleep deprived is because you take these naps!

 

[AnonymousOne]

Because it’s exactly like saying that because you feel good after going to the bathroom when you really have to you should eat laxitives so you can have that feeling more than you need to. Again, there is a huge difference between an occassional nap and something that is done every, or even most, days. When you want to sleep that much it’s generally a sign of pyschological and/or medical problems. Clinical depression is often characterized by a strong desire to sleep all the time for example.

I agree that there’s a potential issue of laziness here, but she’s a stay-at-home mom with a little kid, for goodness sake! Give her a break! It sure doesn’t sound to me like she’s got psychological or medical problems.

 

[AnonymousOne]

I think of all the times that I used to say “No” to my husband because I was too tired at night for lovemaking when I had young children at home. I wish that I had taken advantage of my daughter’s nap times and taken a nap myself instead of trying to be “productive.”

You are a very wise wife and mother to take care of your body and mind by giving both adequate sleep.

I wish my wife had taken that advice when our kids were small. Also, because she takes naps, chances are that she’s far more patient and understanding with her kid(s) than she would be if she didn’t take the naps.