In Praise of Naps

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Few kids like naps. When I was little, the last thing I wanted to do was take a nap. Today I can’t get by without one.

Naps have somehow gotten a bad rap. Somehow we’ve gotten the idea that napping is lazy. That’s simply not true. Naps are smart. If more people napped, I think we’d be better workers. We’d also be nicer. Stress abounds with unrest, as does reptilian behavior. 

The Spanish are famous for their siestas, which are considered a necessity, not just a luxury.

 They know the benefits  of naps. They know a nap will;

- Give you more energy

- Improve your productivity by over 30%

- Improve your alertness by up to 100%

- Reduce stress and the risk of heart disease by 34%

- Allow better negotiation and communication

- Reduce risk of accidents at work and on the road

- Increase your happiness and wellbeing

 Naps can increase your brainpower. Several corporations have caught on to this. Employees of Nike, British Airways, Silicon Valley, even NASA encourage their employees to nap. They brought in comfy sofas to accommodate power naps.

A nap will allow you to see things differently. It changes your perspective on a problem you’ve been musing about Give you new ideas and the energy to work through problems more effectively. Few things compare to a great nap. I should know; napping is my hobby. I live for naps. I love the refreshment I feel when I wake. I feel like I can conquer the world.

Da Vinci wrote, “It is a very good plan every now and then to go away and have a little relaxation…When you come back to the work, your judgment will be surer, since to remain constantly at work will cause you to lose the power of judgment.”

SARK wrote a fantastic book in praise of naps called Change Your Life Without Getting Out of Bed.  She says, “Napping softens all the edges and smoothes the shredded places. Naps are the adult version of a child’s fort.“  And it’s true!!

c. 2011