How To Nap Like A Pro

Boston Globe:

For years, naps have gotten a bad rap, derided as a sign of laziness, weakness, or senility. We are "caught" napping or "found asleep at the switch."

But lately napping has garnered new respect, thanks to solid scientific evidence that midday dozing benefits both mental acuity and overall health. A slew of new studies have shown that naps boost alertness, creativity, mood, and productivity in the later hours of the day.

A nap of 60 minutes improves alertness for up to 10 hours. Research on pilots shows that a 26-minute "NASA" nap in flight (while the plane is manned by a copilot) enhanced performance by 34 percent and overall alertness by 54 percent. One Harvard study published this year showed that a 45-minute nap improves learning and memory.

Read the whole story: Boston Globe

Comments

[walk0nwalls]

07:13 PM on 06/22/2008

Cutest picture ever.

[RaraAvis17]

10:54 AM on 06/20/2008

Kids amaze me. When my kids were young and I was lucky to be a stay at home mom, I had my kids take 2 hour naps every single day and they loved it. (So did I) Naps are a wonderful thing. Too bad this country hasn't figured that out yet.

[SoFlaJet]

08:28 AM on 06/20/2008

my grampa took afternoon naps every day and lived to be 92

[levibatgirl]

08:17 AM on 06/20/2008

OMG! She is too cute!

LOL

[Guynemer]

11:48 PM on 06/19/2008

Cute as a button.

[dadw5boys]

08:34 PM on 06/19/2008

Spain had this figured out long ago. Work a few hours then 2 or 3 hour break, food and nap included here, then back to work for a few more hours.

[bmermaid]

06:12 PM on 06/19/2008

Sleep deprivation is a risk factor for many serious problems, including diabetes, heart disease & Alzheimer's disease.
I am pleased to report that I will live forever.