Week 40 Family Challenge: Take a Siesta Every Day (5–30 Minutes)

This week’s family challenge is one we think you’ll truly enjoy: take a daily siesta — even if it’s just five minutes.

Lie down, be still, and give your body and mind a chance to reset. It doesn’t have to be long, and it doesn’t have to be perfect. A few quiet minutes can help soften the rest of the day.

The goal is simple: rest on purpose.

This challenge is part of our larger 52 Weeks Challenge collection, where small weekly practices help families build connection, responsibility, reflection, calm, and meaningful home rhythms throughout the year.

Naps Are Natural — and Helpful

In our home, we often remind our children: naps are healthy, natural, and normal.

Whether it lasts five minutes or thirty, a brief pause can make all the difference. It can support calmer moods, steadier energy, smoother transitions, and a little more patience for the rest of the day.

You don’t even need to fall asleep. Sometimes simply lying down, closing your eyes, and breathing slowly is enough to help the body and mind reset.

Verywell Health notes that short naps can support mood, alertness, cognitive performance, and energy, while shorter “power naps” are often less likely to cause that groggy feeling after waking. You can read more here: This Is the Best Nap Length for Boosting Energy and Focus.

This challenge pairs naturally with the One Relaxing Thing Each Day Challenge, because both practices remind us that rest is not wasted time. It is one way we care for the people we love — including ourselves.

What This Looks Like in Our Home

Most siestas happen sometime between noon and 4:00 p.m. We don’t follow a rigid schedule. We simply notice the cues and honor them when we can.

Here’s how it often unfolds:

• Peter frequently drifts off on my lap during Claire’s art lesson, or rests in his car seat as we travel between extracurriculars.
• Claire and Peter will rest together at home — five to ten quiet minutes on the sofa or bed with a light blanket.
• Dad sometimes takes a restorative five minutes in the car after dropping us at the grocery store or while waiting during an activity.
• Mom usually lies down with the children; if Dad has them outside playing after an activity, that becomes the perfect moment to take her five minutes.

Sometimes we rest together; sometimes we take turns. Either way, the siesta has become a gentle household rhythm — a small pause that elevates the rest of the day.

This kind of shared rhythm also supports family closeness that lasts. Not every meaningful family habit has to be loud, active, or carefully planned. Some of the best rhythms are quiet, simple, and repeatable.

How to Make This Work for Your Family

A daily siesta does not need to look the same for everyone. Some family members may actually sleep. Others may only close their eyes for a few minutes. Some may rest in a bed, while others may reset in the car, on the sofa, or in a quiet corner.

Try one of these simple approaches:

• Start with a five-minute timer and simply be still.
• Rest alongside your children when you can.
• Use a light blanket or soft music to help everyone settle.
• Let children look at a book quietly if sleep feels impossible.
• Dim the lights or close the curtains if you are home.
• Keep the tone calm rather than making rest feel like a command.
• Notice how everyone feels afterward.

A few minutes of calm can change the tone of an entire day. Try it and notice what happens.

If your family has been practicing The Deep Breathing Challenge, this siesta challenge is a perfect next step. A few slow breaths can help the body settle before rest begins.

This Week’s Challenge

Take a siesta every day this week — 5 to 30 minutes.

Lie down, close your eyes, and breathe. You don’t need sleep; you simply need stillness.

For children, you can describe it as:

• “Let’s give our bodies a quiet reset.”
• “We are going to rest for five minutes.”
• “You do not have to sleep. Just be still.”
• “Let’s see how we feel after a little pause.”

This can be especially helpful after busy mornings, emotional moments, errands, lessons, church events, sports, or long stretches of stimulation.

Why Rest Can Be Hard

Rest sounds simple, but many families struggle with it.

Sometimes children resist slowing down. Sometimes parents feel guilty for pausing. Sometimes the house is noisy, the schedule is full, or the to-do list feels too long.

But a siesta does not have to be a perfect nap. It can simply be a small act of permission: permission to stop, breathe, and return to the day with a little more steadiness.

If your family is learning to slow down without guilt, you may also appreciate Be Gentle With Yourself, Mom, because many of us need reminders that rest and grace belong in motherhood too.

When a Siesta Does Not Go Perfectly

Some days, the siesta will not feel peaceful. Someone will giggle. Someone will wiggle. Someone will whisper. Someone may insist they are not tired at all.

That is okay.

The practice still matters. Even if no one falls asleep, the family is learning how to pause together.

You can say:

• “We are practicing quiet, not perfection.”
• “Your body still benefits from being still.”
• “You do not have to sleep to rest.”
• “Let’s try five minutes and then we’ll get up.”
• “Rest helps us return to the day with a better heart.”

This kind of gentle expectation supports the same spirit behind the No Yelling & Gentle Voices Challenge. Calm is something families practice, not something that appears automatically.

How to Make Siesta Time Feel Inviting

A few small details can help children settle more easily.

• Choose the same general time each day.
• Use a soft blanket or pillow.
• Play quiet instrumental music.
• Keep the room cool and dim if possible.
• Let children choose a stuffed animal or book.
• Use a timer so the rest period feels manageable.
• Keep expectations simple and clear.

Over time, children may begin to see rest as something normal instead of something they are being forced into.

This also connects with What Healthy Confidence Actually Looks Like, because healthy confidence includes learning to listen to the body, notice limits, and care for oneself wisely.

For Those Doing This Challenge Individually

If you are doing this challenge on your own, treat your daily siesta as a small reset rather than a productivity failure.

You might try:

• a five-minute rest after lunch
• closing your eyes before afternoon work
• lying down before school pickup
• sitting quietly in the car before going into the next place
• resting before dinner prep
• taking a short pause after a stressful conversation

Choose a time that will not interfere with nighttime sleep, and keep it short enough that it leaves you refreshed rather than groggy.

If you are trying to build more consistent small habits, the Week 42 Follow Through Challenge may also be helpful, because rest becomes easier when it is treated as a small promise to yourself rather than something you only do when everything else is finished.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Daily Siesta Challenge

What is the Daily Siesta Challenge?

The Daily Siesta Challenge is a weekly family practice where each person takes a short rest period every day, usually between 5 and 30 minutes, to pause, reset, and return to the day with more calm.

Do we have to actually fall asleep?

No. Falling asleep is not required. Lying down, closing your eyes, breathing slowly, or simply being still can still offer a meaningful reset.

How long should a family siesta be?

Start small. Five to ten minutes may be enough for children or busy families. If a longer rest feels helpful, you can try up to 30 minutes while noticing how it affects everyone’s energy and nighttime sleep.

What if my child refuses to nap?

Try calling it quiet rest instead of nap time. Let the child look at a book, hold a stuffed animal, listen to soft music, or simply lie still for a short timer. The goal is rest, not a forced nap.

When is the best time for a siesta?

Many families find that early afternoon works best, especially after lunch or a busy morning. Try to avoid resting too late in the day if it interferes with nighttime sleep.

Can adults benefit from this too?

Yes. Adults can benefit from a short intentional pause, especially during busy or stressful days. Keep it brief, restful, and supportive of your normal sleep rhythm.

Simple Tools for Family Rhythms

💌 Share This Week’s Challenge

Share this week’s challenge with someone who could use a little more rest, steadiness, or permission to pause.

Invite them to take a daily siesta with you this week — even if it is only five minutes — and notice how a small pause can brighten the rest of the day.

With quiet encouragement,
Ashley