The Fountain of Youth, it seems, comes in the form of a nap!  Open a fitness or health magazine and you’ll see an article on the health benefits of sleep.  And even better, napping!!
I am a big fan of naps.  And that’s surprising to some people (as is my penchant for anything on Bravo) because apparently I don’t look like a napper.  But catching a 20 or 30 minute ‘catter’ (cat-nap) is a healthy part of my routine.

Especially because I don’t get a solid 7 or 8 or even 9 hours of sleep per night like the experts say is necessary.  8 hours?  Isn’t that like being dead?  I haven’t had 8 hours of sleep, in a row, since the first Bush was in office.

So I covet my naps.  But the important trick to napping is the length of the nap.  20-30 minutes is the MAX you should doze.  More than that and you start to hit the heavy sleep.  You know, the one where you wake up in a puddle of drool and can’t remember what day it is, where your kids are or why you were asleep in the first place.

I know some people don’t nap, can’t nap, refuse to nap.  (And truth be told, I kind of feel sorry for them because a nap is delightful.)   But even just closing your office door, turning off your phone and relaxing in your chair or sitting quietly in your car and resting for is helpful.  It allows you to quiet your mind, get into a restful and relaxed state.

Regardless of what you do to recharge be sure to keep it short, get up and move, and drink some water.  I promise you’ll have more energy for the rest of the day and a short ‘catter’ won’t compromise your sleep at night.

Now go run!

Keli 🙂