Need a Vacation? Take a Nap

Join the Conversation. Have you discovered The Joy of Napping? When did you last have a nap?

If, like me, you badly need of a vacation but can’t seem to find the time or resources to get away, try the next best thing: A nap.

When you take a quick snooze, you’re in the company of such famous nappers as Winston Churchill, Salvador Dalí, Albert Einstein, Lyndon Johnson, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Thomas Edison, who all enjoyed afternoon naps.

In fact, according to the AARP, John D. Rockefeller allegedly said: “A little rest now and then helps a man to accomplish more.”

Meanwhile, short naps — along with suffficient sleep at night, an anti-inflammatory diet (i.e., healthy veggies and fruits and minimal carbs) and daily exercise — help Dr. Andrew Weil feel “positive, energetic, and ready to tackle the challenges that life presents.”

Celebrity physician Dr. Mehmet Oz — who, incidentally, was recently grilled by senators for extolling weight-loss supplements on his Dr. Oz Show which didn’t pass scientific muster — also believes in napping.

Not only did Dr. Oz admit that he regularly takes an afternoon siesta, but he hailed napping as The 10-Minute Fix that Cures Exhaustion.

Napping has many benefits. It:

• Improves your attention, concentration, memory, performance and alertness.
• Boosts your moods.
• Enhance your workplace performance.
• Reduces accidents and mistakes.
• Boosts your creativity.
• Improves your health.
• Reduces stress.

Now I’m not suggesting that napping will make up for being sleep-deprived, but it’s a start. However, you really want to get ample zz’s at night, too.

In particular, for those of you with weight challenges, sleep is very, very important.

• Being sleep deprived can boost your appetite and trigger junk food cravings. Think about it: When you’re short on the zzz’s, don’t you crave the cc’s (crappy carbs?) On the other hand, if you get enough sleep, you can put your cravings to sleep.
• Plus, napping and sleeping can help you lose weight. There’s lots of research on that connection. In short, getting enough sleep is one of the easiest ways to lose weight!

By the way, when you nap, don’t fret if you can’t actually doze off for 10 minutes. One study found that asleep or not, a short period spent resting in bed is just as relaxing.

For some tips on napping, turn to Michael Hyatt, who helps leaders leverage influence.

Let’s have some fun now!

Check out these amusing photos of cats napping it up, thanks to the Daily Mail.

Join the Conversation. Have you discovered The Joy of Napping? When did you last have a nap?

About the Author:

Connie Bennett, CHHC, CPC, ACC is a bestselling author of the books, Beyond Sugar Shock, which Dr. Wayne Dyer and Dr. Daniel Amen endorsed, and Sugar Shock, which Dr. Mehmet Oz praised.In 1998, Connie was a fatigued, frazzled, sugar-addicted journalist, walloped by 44 mysterious ailments (headaches, mood swings, brain fog, etc.) She reluctantly quit sugar on doctor’s orders, and ALL her bafling symptoms vanished! Now a healthy eater for 16 years — with a few slips (she’s human) — Connie, has helped thousands worldwide release their harmful sugar or carb addiction. Now known as the Sweet Freedom Guide, Connie — who is a certified life coach, certified health coach and popular speaker — dishes startling news and offers simple, sweet tips to shed weight, boost energy, and be laser-focused like a superhero. Connie has featured by such media outlets as CBS News Sunday Morning, The Howard Stern Show, TIME, Woman’s World, and Women’s Health. Sign up now for short, Sweet Morsels (sent weekly, well, that’s the goal) at www.Connie-Bennett.com.