It’s National Nap Day, Grab Yourself Some Needed Z’s

I swear, if napping was an Olympic sport, I'd have a few gold medals. Not bragging, I just possess the ability to nap anywhere, anytime. So, today is kind of like a holiday for me.

In 1999, Dr William Anthony of Boston university came up with the great idea for a national nap day to help overcome the cultural prejudice against napping.  He also wanted to point out the health benefits of grabbing a few extra z's during the day.

"We figured this would be a good day to celebrate the importance of napping because everyone is one hour more sleep-deprived than usual," Anthony said. "The fact is that the majority of Americans are sleep-deprived even without Daylight Saving Time."

Because of Dr Anthony's Nap Day, some work places actually allow employees to to observe Nap Day with nap breaks during the workday.

Let's face it, most of us are deprived of the sleep we need to maintain our health. Here are just a few of the health benefits we can gain from napping.

Recharge your brain's batteries. A NASA study found astronauts that took a 40 minute nap improved their performance by 34% and alertness by 100% according to the National Sleep Foundation.

You can also lower your risk for heart related problems. A nap once or twice a week can reduce your chance of a heart attack or stroke.

It might even help you out as far as staying or getting into shape. A recent study found that sleep deprived women were more likely to take in more sugar, fatty foods and caffeine. Inadequate sleep can stimulate hunger.

Napping has even been found to stimulate creativity.  A nap sparks up the right side of your brain, the creative side.

So, all around, napping can give every aspect of your life a positive boost. So, with that, I think I'll hit the couch and celebrate National Nap Day!  Good night.

(CNN)