Napping - Smart or Just Plain Lazy?

On most days of the week between 2:00 and 3:00 in the afternoon you can find me curled up like a cat taking a nap. Those blissful minutes under a ray of sun with a fan blowing cool air over me is time well spent no matter what my husband tries to tell me. I often wonder when my kids come home from school if they think I have been sleeping all day, but nonetheless, I know the 30 minutes before they arrive is critical to my sanity for the rest of the evening.

My husband, a non-napper, has chastised me about this for years. He makes it out to people like I sleep all afternoon. For over a decade I felt like something was *wrong* with me. Why did I need a nap when he seemed to be just fine without one? Was it chronic fatigue? Laziness? I tried very hard to be *normal*, but eventually would *sneak* and take naps anyway. Apparently, there are other people just like me, so many in fact that scientific research is showing that top business execs and artists alike are acknowledging the value of a *Power Nap*.

If you are the kind of person that feels guilty about taking a nap or just can't find the time, consider this:

*A 20 minute nap increases alertness and productivity.
Scientists have even proven that taking a 20-minute nap approximately eight hours after you have awaken will do more for your stamina than sleeping another 20 minutes in the morning.

*Taking afternoon rests keeps you on the exercise track.
Most people skip evening workouts because they feel too tired. Boosting afternoon energy gives you the extra push to get to the gym and have a good workout. Plus, being tired is prime condition for grabbing something full of sugar to give you a boost, which will surely wreck a diet.

*Napping boosts creativity.
Rest and relaxation isn't only vital to your health - it might also make you a more creative person. Experts agree that taking a nap or stepping away from a problem or project refreshes the mind.

*Napping is overall better for your health.

Napping in general benefits heart functioning, hormonal maintenance, and cell repair, says Dr. Sara Mednick who is at the forefront of napping research. A power nap, says Mednick, simply maximizes these benefits by getting the sleeper into and out of rejuvenating sleep as fast as possible.

How Long Is A Good Nap?
* THE NANO-NAP: 10 to 20 seconds. Sleep studies haven't yet concluded whether there are benefits to these brief intervals, like when you nod off on someone*s shoulder on the train.
* THE MICRO-NAP: two to five minutes. Shown to be surprisingly effective at shedding sleepiness.
* THE MINI-NAP: five to 20 minutes. Increases alertness, stamina, motor learning, and motor performance.
* THE ORIGINAL POWER NAP: 20 minutes. Includes the benefits of the micro and the mini, but additionally improves muscle memory and clears the brain of useless built-up information, which helps with long-term memory (remembering facts, events, and names).
* THE LAZY MAN'S NAP: 50 to 90 minutes. Includes slow-wave plus REM sleep; good for improving perceptual processing; also when the system is flooded with human growth hormone, great for repairing bones and muscles.

These days, when my husband likes to tease me about *sleeping all afternoon* I tell him "I just happen to be a high level thinker like Leonardo Da Vinci and Albert Einstein" and remind him I am much easier to get along with after I have had a good nap- that usually does the trick!

So gather members- How about you? Are you a Napper or do you think it's just plain lazy?