Unless you're: A) under the age of two; B) in high school; or C) eligible for an AARP card, naps are not usually considered socially acceptable. And anyway, who has the chance to nap? Most of us spend our afternoons in an office, running errands or doing something else that's productive.

But a nap, even a quick one, can really help restore alertness and improve your mood, so don't feel guilty about taking one. Divine Caroline has seven tips for napping effectively. Here are a couple:

• Don't sleep longer than 45 minutes. After this amount of time, you'll be drifting into deep sleep and will feel groggy when you wake up.
  
• Find a place to lie down -- it takes longer to fall asleep sitting up.
• Don't nap too close to bedtime -- you'll be lying awake when it's time to hit the sack.
  

Want more tips? Read the full article here.

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Why is it that we feel guilty for taking naps? Ever been sound asleep during the daylight hours when a ringing phone jolts you out of your slumber? I have. And when my caller asks after hearing my groggy voice, "Were you sleeping?" I'm ever so quick to announce, "Sleeping? No, I'm not sleeping."

It's too bad naps are not more socially acceptable. Because they sure are beneficial.

"Napping should not be frowned upon at the office or make you feel guilty at home," says Dr. James B. Maas, psychologist and sleep expert at Cornell. "It should have the status of daily exercise."

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Although fruit is healthy it may not always be the best thing for you when it comes to snacking and your lunch at work. Eating a meal or snack of mostly carbs will give you a hefty boost of energy right away, but it will also fade quickly and leave you feeling fatigued and drained. Eating protein and a little fat at meals along with a few carbs will slow down the digestion and even out the energy boost for a more productive and better feeling afternoon. Good choices include veggies and fish (or chicken) for lunch, and maybe an apple with cheese for a snack.

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It seems like we're hearing a lot about napping at work lately, dare we hope it's the beginning of a soon-to-be widely accepted practice? I highly doubt it, but that doesn't mean you can't still try it every once in awhile (discreetly, of course!) to rejuvenate and refresh yourself so you get more done.

Of course nobody is recommending you take a nap right at your desk or cubicle (wearing those sunglasses with the eyeballs painted on the outside), but if you have the chance to get away over your lunch hour or in the afternoon then that's another story altogether. And although napping might sound like a simple enough thing to do, there are things you can do to nap in the best way and get the most from the whole experience. If you don't have one of these MetroNaps Energy Pods (hilarious!) to create the perfect sleeping environment, then maybe a "Meditation Nap" would work just as well? It's about relaxing and getting the most out of just a few minutes of shut-eye, from as little as 5 to as many as 20 minutes. Read the instructions on how to take a Meditation Nap, give it a shot, and let us know how it works for you!

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