THE LOOP
Today is National Napping Day.
Daylight Saving Time means more afternoon sunshine, but that may have been little consolation to those who lost an hour of sleep Sunday morning. If you're still groggy from losing that precious hour, then take advantage of National Napping Day, observed today.
Dr. William Anthony, a Boston University professor, came up with National Napping Day in 1999 that would highlight the benefits of taking a quick nap.
In several studies, it has been shown that even a 20 or 30-minute nap can have a positive effect on mental alertness and cognitive ability. Improvements in alertness, productivity and mood have all been shown to improve with this type of snooze.
Some facts about Naps:.
- Napping three times a week results in a 37% decrease in heart related deaths
- Naps can improve performance by 34%
- In Ancient Rome, it was common to take a nap after lunch
- 60 million Americans are sleep-deprived at any one time
- Humans are the only mammals to plan or delay naps
- Just thinking about a nap can lower blood pressure
Though there are some of us who are just not the napping kind, if you can reap those benefits, find a cozy spot for 10 minutes or so on National Napping Day.
Save the Daylight!
It is that time of year -- Daylight savings. Don’t forget to set all your clocks and timepieces forward one hour this Sunday at 2am. Sadly, we’ll lose an hour of precious sleep that we can’t seem to get enough of but this is also the beginning to long and bright summer nights.
One interesting thought is that this could potentially be one of the last times we have to remember to adjust our clocks here in California. There is currently legislation pending that would allow daylight savings time all year round, meaning we’ll always have those darker mornings and lighter evenings.
See you all Monday at 8! Or 9..
Fat Tuesday
Yesterday was Mardi Gras! Just in case you missed it here is some interesting information so next year you can be more informed.
Mardi Gras is French for Fat Tuesday. It's also called Shrove Tuesday, Carnival Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday in other parts of the world. It is a celebration prior to Lent that focuses on opulent indulgences. What began as a holiday rooted in religious tradition has become a cultural phenomenon. While the first Mardi Gras in America was celebrated in Alabama, most of what we associate with Mardi Gras now all started in New Orleans in the 1830s.
The Spanish had outlawed the celebration in New Orleans from 1762 - 1800 and this ban was continued when the American government took over. Then in 1837 a secret society called Mistick Krewe of Comus held a parade with the theme of “The Demon Actors in Milton’s Paradise Lost.” The colors of this society were green, purple and gold. Other societies started taking part in the parade and it grew into what it is today.
