Be Quiet, I'm Napping.

This past October and November I was one of millions of people closely following the presidential race. I watched debates and speeches, looked at online polls daily, and engaged in discussions with friends. One thing that I took away from all of it was that it seems like you can find research to back up just about any opinion. During debates, President Obama would state a fact as well as the research that proved it, and immediately following, Governor Romney would state just the opposite and also have research to back it up. Perhaps at one point in time simply watching the debates made you an informed voter. Today however, you must also be able to read and analyze the research that candidates use in order to figure out who is telling the truth. Of course, this is often extremely difficult to do, and I think that this is a main reason why our country has become so politically divided. How can you convince someone that one side of the debate is factual and the other ludicrous when both sides have research to prove their side of the argument?

Although this ability to find research to justify just about anything has perhaps greatly hindered the ability of voters to make fully informed decisions, I must admit that I do not always think it is a bad thing when I am making everyday decisions that do not affect the future of our global society. For instance, there is research that explains the health benefits of both chocolate and coffee. Thanks to that I am able to treat myself to a dark chocolate with sea salt bar and a latte every time I go to Target with no guilt.

Perhaps my favorite studies on the internet however are those proving the benefits of napping daily. Although I have been a strong advocate of napping for most of my life, after spending four months in Spain last semester when I imagine my perfect day now it always includes siesta time. Harvard Health Publications, published by Harvard Medical School published an article called Napping May Not Be Such A No-No in 2009, and let's be honest, if the web address has harvard.edu in it, you know it's legit, right? Anyway, this article essentially argues that an afternoon nap can increase your productivity during the day. Here are the suggestions in the article for taking a good nap:

Keep it short. The 20- to 30-minute nap may be the ideal pick-me-up. Even just napping for a few minutes has benefits. Longer naps can lead to sleep inertia — the post-sleep grogginess that can be difficult to shake off.

Find a dark, quiet, cool place. You don't want to waste a lot of time getting to sleep. Reducing light and noise helps most people nod off faster. Cool temperatures are helpful, too.

Plan on it. Waiting till daytime sleepiness gets so bad that you have to take a nap can be uncomfortable and dangerous if, say, you're driving. A regular nap time may also help you get to sleep faster and wake up quicker.

Time your caffeine. Caffeine takes some time to kick in. A small Japanese study published several years ago found that drinking a caffeinated beverage and then taking a short nap immediately afterward was the most restful combination because the sleep occurred just before the caffeine took effect. We're not so sure about that approach — the mere suggestion of caffeine, in the form of coffee taste or smell, wakes us up. Regardless of the exact timing, you need to coordinate caffeine intake with your nap.

Don't feel guilty! The well-timed nap can make you more productive at work and at home.

(you can find the article at http://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletters/Harvard_Health_Letter/2009/November/napping-may-not-be-such-a-no-no)

I am fully aware of the fact that I could probably google "why naps are bad for you" and come up with a plethora of pages supporting that position. However, instead I am going to pull a politician, call my opponent a liar and go take a nap so that I can more productively study for my finals when I wake up.