nap

When a person sleeps during the day, you can use the word "nap."

• 
• He’s taking a nap. (The verb "take" is often used with nap.)
• My baby is napping. (This sentence uses "nap" as a verb.)
• Babies take a lot of naps.
• Taking a nap during the day is good for you.
• Do you need a nap?
• A thirty-minute nap in the afternoon is all you need.
• The owner of the company encourages his employees to take naps.

Some Americans use the Spanish word "siesta" when describing a nap:

• I need a siesta.
• Don’t bother Ted right now. He’s taking a siesta.

Sometimes the word "nap" is used when a person isn’t paying attention:

• I’m sorry I didn’t hear what you said. I must have been napping.
• Half of the audience was napping during the speech made by the CEO.

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This page was first published on March 10, 2012. It was amended on January 15, 2015.