Daily Devotions
Try a power nap
“When you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” Pr 3:24 NIV
God built specific triggers into our bodies to let us know when it’s time to escape consciousness. And wise people listen to these clues. History’s most notable power nappers include Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, and Winston Churchill. There is a reason why your eyelids start to droop around 2:00 p.m. The levator muscles, which constantly contract to keep your eyelids open, give out and beg for a break. And a chemical called adenosine, which collects in your brain when you’re awake, piles up and makes you feel drowsy. Consequently, your body yearns for sleep to allow the adenosine to disperse, resulting in instant relief. A study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine confirms that people who nap for at least thirty minutes daily, three times weekly, are one-third less likely to die from heart disease. And additional research suggests that taking a nap can improve creativity and memory. Cognitive neuroscientist William Fishbein says that often during a brief nap, our brains actually keep working to resolve problems and form new ideas. That helps explain why Mozart professed to have composed music in his dreams. Studies also show that a little extra sleep can assist with weight control—which means you can lose as you snooze! Ghrelin, a hormone produced in our intestines, tells us we’re hungry and triggers cravings for sweets, salty foods, and starches—all the bad stuff! However, when we sleep more, our colon stores less ghrelin, and our craving for junk food diminishes. In Scripture, Jesus not only took frequent rest breaks himself; He encouraged His disciples to follow suit. So, try a power nap.
