I just came across a recent ‘six-year’ study of the effects of napping. why wasn’t I included in this ‘test’ group? napping is what I do best! But it wasn’t the fact that a 6-year-sleep-study was done that I found intriguing. According to the study it seems that “a little midday snooze seems to reduce risks for fatal heart problems, especially among men.”

What? Stop the presses!!! Hold the phone! Does this mean Doctors are now advocating I take a daily nap at work?  The study found that “Those who napped at least three times weekly for about half an hour had a 37 percent lower risk of dying from heart attacks or other heart problems than those who did not nap.” So YES… it looks as if I need to add nap-time to my daily agenda… Okay… let me rephrase… it looks as if I need to add a nap-time to my daily agenda that does not require sneaking off to some unused meeting room and locking the door.

Having corporate approval for a nap at my desk would definitely be much less embarrassing that trying to snag the milking rooms… err…lactation rooms that my employer so kindly offers to women with young children. They have it made… a door that locks! a couch to nap on! a fridge to hold snacks! okay… ‘maybe’ the fridge isn’t for snacks, but it doesn’t make me any less jealous… Anyway, back to the topic at hand…

Take a nap!!! do it for your heart! 🙂 There is even one company that sells sleeping pods to businesses.  I want one for my cube! In the study one doc was quoted as saying “Having a siesta reduces your probability of dying by about one third”, “If you have a sofa in your office, go right ahead and take a snooze.”  That’s good enough for me! 

According to a Cornell University study, “sleep-deprived workers cost U.S. industry $150 billion a year in reduced job productivity and fatigue-related accidents”  so it’s GOOD FOR BUSINESS!  The study also included women and says “It is likely that women reap similar benefits from napping, but not enough of them died during the study to be sure”. ironic… sounds a bit like they were sad that more didn’t die? hmm… moving on…

The study also states “some offices allow on-the-job naps, and many workers say it makes them more, not less, productive.” Yep… proof positive! if you want to get more work done… take more naps!

Lastly I want to focus on my new hero… it’s a it’s a guy by the name of Mark Ekenbarger. I think I want his job! “Yarde Metals, a metals distributing firm, built a nap room at its Southington, Connecticut, headquarters as part of an employee wellness program. With two leather sofas, fluffy pillows, soft lighting and an alarm clock, it is the perfect place for a quick snooze, engineer Mark Ekenbarger said. “He then went on to say that he “frequently takes half-hour naps on the advice of his doctor to reduce stress.” and “It really does energize me for the rest of the day”.

I bet it does! If I could take ‘frequent’ half-hour naps at my job everyday i’d feel pretty energized too. Lets Give it up for Mark… MY HERO!!! I say we start a petition to institute a national ‘Mark Ekenbarger Holiday’. It’s a day where you still go to work, but all you do is sleep. 

Harvard-trained research scientist Sara Mednick, author of the book “Take a Nap! Change your life.” told CTV News recently that sleep deprivation can lead to a whole host of health problems such as increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, decreased libido and obesity. Obesity!?!

So not only is not taking naps making me less productive, and at a higher risk for heart attack… but it’s making me fat too!!! Maybe I need to link this to the bacon grease diet?  So there you have it… take more naps! Doctors Advice!