naptastic

There's Nothing Wrong with Napping
11/12/2007

In the middle of the afternoon, do you sometimes have to triple up on your daily dose of coffee just to keep your eyes open?

In times like those, a nap could feel pretty tempting – but you'd feel greedy taking that extra hour of sleep. And besides, napping during the day just means you'll be up all night watching infomercials instead, right?

Wrong. According to new research from Cornell Medical Center, a daily mid-day snooze has no effect on your nightly sleeping habits. Better yet, that extra hour or two of sleep even gives your brain the energy boost it needs to function more effectively the next day.

In the study, some of the research subjects had the enviable assignment of taking naps in Cornell's sleep lab. When they woke up, they were given tests that measured their cognitive skills and reaction times. As compared to subjects who kept their eyes open all day long, the nappers performed better on all the tests immediately after napping – and even led the way long into the following day.

So next time you're feeling drowsy, don't hit Starbucks – just head for the nearest sofa instead. If you're at work, we guess your boss may not be thrilled to find you sleeping on the job – but if you show him this article, who knows? He might just bring you a pillow the next time you start nodding off. (But we still wouldn't count on a lullaby.)

from Gimundo