Short Naps Boost Productivity and Lower Risk of Heart Attack

In a house with small children, naptime is war. One side of the battle is firmly entrenched and unwilling to concede. They shout and yell and have even resulted in kicking and stomping their feet on occasion. And that's just the parents. The all too obvious irony in this ubiquitous battle for the sanity of our afternoons is that the people being forced to take naps would avoid them like the plague if given the chance while the nap enforcers (a.k.a. Mom and Dad) would cut off all of their fingers and potentially even an entire arm for the opportunity to sleep during the day.

In stark contrast, everyday I hear the commercials for "5 Hour Energy Drink." The attractive sounding voice on the radio encourages us all to fight back against that dreaded '2:30 feeling' by drinking their product. It is apparently packed with B-vitamins to give us all the energy we need to power through the day. Right. And Frosted Flakes are the cornerstone of a healthy breakfast. Tell me another one.

The idea of an afternoon nap is not a new concept. Even as far back as the middle ages, Roman Emperor Charlemagne is recorded by Einhard to have enjoyed an afternoon nap."In summer, after his midday meal, he would eat some fruit and take another drink; then he would remove his shoes and undress completely, just as he did at night, and rest for two or three hours." When in Rome...

European cultures have kept alive this beautiful tradition in a concept known most commonly as "siesta." During the heat of the day, people in certain countries enjoy a long lunch hour which provides them enough time to take a brief nap if they so desire. Our American-ness may urge us to look down our highly productive and driven noses at those self absorbed Europeans who waste time napping during the day but that there are significant health benefits to this ancient ritual.

Studies have shown that a 10-20 minute power nap can give you just what the doctor ordered to 'power through your afternoon.' A nap of that length can increase mental alertness and clarity with minimal grogginess. Buyer beware: sleeping past the 20 minute mark will leave you wanting more and will frequently place you in an even groggier state. One suggestion is not to fully recline while enjoying your afternoon nap. This will help prevent you from falling into a much deeper sleep.

Companies such as Google and Apple have recognized this and are some of the more high profile outfits to allow employee naps as part of their work day philosophy.

Increased mental alertness and clarity can potentially be a tough sell to your slave-driver of a boss. So try this one on for size.

Studies have additionally shown that napping decreases your risk of dying of heart disease. In a huge study of 23,000 Greek adults, it was found that people who regularly took midday naps were more than 30% less likely to die from heart disease.

So the next time your boss catches you snoozing at your desk, tell him that you are working to increase your alertness and clarity. If he still isn't buying it, then tell him you might die if you don't nap and send him the link to this blog.