Need An Energy Boost? Skip The Coffee

Are you feeling a little listless today?  You're tired and the old brain isn't working up to par, especially around, say, 2 p.m. or so.  For many, me included, when the middle-of-the-day arrives, you're pooped!  Granted, doing a morning radio show means that my day begins earlier than most, 3:45 a.m., so by 2 I should be finished, right?  Not usually.  There is always more to do and other commitments that may take me into the evening.  By 2 p.m. your dragging so you reach for the coffee, candy, something to pick you up.

Not so fast.  I've learned, and research is backing me up, that you should reach for a pillow instead.

In an article on Web MD experts say that taking a nap may be a good way to make up for the sleep deficit many of us have from not getting enough shut-eye at night.

There are many times that I just don't have the time for that peaceful, long, snooze.  But I have learned to get a short "cat nap" in if I don't have the time.  Doctor Sara C. Mednick, PhD,  assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego backs me up and says “You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping. You reset the system and get a burst of alertness and increased motor performance. That’s what most people really need to stave off sleepiness and get an energy boost.”

As for the coffee, think twice. Caffeine can actually decrease memory performance, leaving you more alert but also more prone to making mistakes.

Now where is my pillow?