Suzy Fleming Leonard: Love all people; take regular naps

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I try to be tolerant of people who aren't like me. Really, I do.

I don't care who you love, where (or if) you went to college or how you worship. I don't care what you do for a living (I trust it's legal?), how you voted or who your parents are.

As long as you're a kind human, aren't rude to waiters and let me contribute to the conversation occasionally, we're good.

I'll admit it's not easy for me to accept people who don't love dogs. I mean, how can a person not love dogs? But I try to empathize. Maybe there was a childhood trauma involving bared teeth and a bloody ankle that punctured their heart as well as their skin.

Lately, though, I'm finding myself overwhelmingly biased against a certain type of person, and it's a bias made worse by the reality of being married to one.

My husband is — give me a sec, this is difficult — an anti-napper.

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He doesn't understand the pure joy of lying down on the couch at 2 in the afternoon, pulling a soft sherpa throw up to your chin and closing your eyes.

I've napped my whole life. I love the soothing, decadent luxury of sleeping in the daylight.

Drawing from more than a half-century of personal research, I've come up with some guidelines for the perfect nap:

Duration. The best nap is between 30 and 45 minutes, and never longer than an hour. Any shorter, and it's a letdown, a teaser nap. Any longer, and I wake up groggy instead of refreshed.

Location. Sofas make for the best napping. Recliners are OK, but they make it more difficult for side napping. And I only recommend napping in bed if you're staying in a hotel.

Background noise. I prefer napping to Hallmark movies. They're quiet and soothing and foster pleasant dreams. Plus, they're predictable, so I don't get invested in the outcome. If I fall asleep in the middle of one and wake up to another, I pretty much can follow both. Reruns of "Friends" or the "Golden Girls" will do in a pinch, but sitcoms with laugh tracks can be jarring.

Canine companion. Dogs make the best nap buddies. They're warm, quiet and they like naps as much as I do.

After 18 years of living with me, the Mister finally has learned to settle in for the occasional nap, especially if all the chores are done and the golf tournament du jour isn't terribly interesting.

Mostly, though, if he naps, he wakes up cranky, castigating himself for being lazy and lamenting the things he should have done instead. Daytime is meant for doing stuff, not sitting around. He's not a fan of movie matinees, either.

And in the careful compromise that is marriage, I've learned not to try napping on his super-busy Saturdays. Otherwise, he walks in the front door and out the back, slamming both and stomping through the den in between, over and over. Eventually I give up, give in and work on something productive, like balancing the checkbook or folding socks.

Our marriage is proof that you don't always have to agree on important life values to coexist happily.

You can't help who you love, you just have to tolerate and accept your differences.

Now, if you'll excuse me, the dog and I are going to lie down for a bit. Wake us in 45.

Suzy Fleming Leonard is a features journalist with more than three decades of experience. Reach her at [email protected]. Find on Facebook: @SuzyFlemingLeonard or on Instagram: @SuzyLeonard

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: I can understand and accept most types of people; but anti-nappers?