It's been a long time since my daughter took a nap, and I'm hoping that the baby on the way does as well with it as she did back in "the day". But did you know that it's not just kids that need a good nap now and then to recharge? We grown-ups could really make use of 'em too!
I found a really interesting piece in the June issue of Body + Soul magazine that describes how important a daily siesta can be in fighting off the number one killer of women. Fatigue is the number one killer?
No! Heart disease is, ladies. And come to find out that women who take a half-hour nap at least three times a week reduce their risk of dying from heart disease by 37 percent. The finding comes from a study of more than 20,000 Greek men and women dedicated to their daily siesta (with "dedicated" being defined as a minimum of 30 minutes at least three times weekly).
The study author felt that the connection might be a reduction in stress levels, which are known to nail your immune system and combat the healthy habits you do have. (Need more reasons to reduce your stress levels? Be aware that high stress has also been linked to cancer, chronic fatigue syndrome and type 2 diabetes by other studies. Yikes!)
Now I understand why grabbing a power nap in my car during my lunch breaks from a high-stress retail management job (high-stress thanks to my er, "great" boss) made such a huge difference in my days! If you're not able to kick back in the office or your car for a siesta, consider learning some breathing exercises (like those taught by Dr. Andrew Weil), meditation methods, or stretches that will help you counteract the day's "junk". Your heart will thank you!
I have to admit there have been days when I would dearly love to take a nap! Even though my husband is retired my days haven't seemed to slow down a bit!
Posted by: Cheryl Hart | May 17, 2007 8:31 PM | Permalink to Comment