How to Improve Health Through Naps

Recent studies show that napping for a while each day may be good for your heart. Researches found that a midday nap or siesta reduced coronary related deaths by about one third among men and women. The results showed people who napped at least three times per week for at least 30 minutes had a 37% lower coronary mortality rate that those who didn't nap.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Plan at least 30 minutes three times per week for a nap to get the most heart healthy benefits.
2. Find a comfortable, quiet location. Naps can be taken anywhere: at your desk with the blinds closed and the light out, in your car on a warm, sunny day, on a couch in your office with a "Do Not Disturb" sign on your door.
3. Use one half of your lunch hour for a nap. This means you can't plan power lunches more than a couple of days per week.
4. Catch up on nap time over the weekend. If you can't manage to find three days in your work week for napping, use the weekend. Just be sure you set aside that third day during the week to get your last 30 minutes of nap time.
5. Keep napping supplies handy at your office. An eye blind, some soft music or a white noise machine will all help block out distractions just outside your door.
6. Go home for lunch if you have a short commute and stretch out on the couch after you eat.
7. Set an alarm. Thirty minutes is all you need to get the heart healthy benefits of a nap and longer naps may make you sluggish for a while afterwards. Most cell phones have an alarm, so you can have an alarm clock anywhere you nap.