It’s not really about the nap — it’s about what the day is actually for.
Q. I heard of the custom not to sleep during the day on Rosh Hashana. If we’re in shul all morning, and The Ari zt”l (and the Mishna Brura) says it’s okay to sleep in the afternoon, so when’s it a problem?
The Rama cites the custom not to sleep from the Talmud Yerushalmi. Part of the idea is to set an energetic tone for the year, but also, how can one sleep as he’s approaching the heavenly court? To the contrary, this is the time to do as many good deeds as possible! The original custom, still followed in many places, is to pray at sunrise, the earliest possible time, which stresses the aforementioned aspect of our judgment, and explains the Ari zt”l who’s advising to wake up early. If your community davens later, there still is room to wake up at sunrise and learn Torah (especially mussar), say Tehilim, study the upcoming prayers, or simply contemplate what life is about, our priorities, how we’ll spend our upcoming year, etc.- all of which will influence the Heavenly decision regarding what our year will look like. Some have the custom to finish all of Tehilim on R.H. Most important, is to utilize the day for that introspection, and that’s why the poskim say that to waste time on R.H. is like sleeping it away. Accordingly, if you’re tired after prayer and the festive meal of wine and meat, and a short afternoon nap can energize you for a more productive afternoon, then by all means, do so. Wishing all of our readers and all Israel a Ktiva vaChatima Tova!
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