Diet Talk from the Doc
by Dr.Diet, Diet.com's Medical Director

Results from the largest research study to date on the health effects of napping will be published this week in the Archives of Internal Medicine. This study which tracked 23,681 healthy Greek adults for about 6 years showed that napping seems to reduce risks for fatal heart problems. The biggest benefit was seen in working men.

Work related stress has been associated with poor eating and exercise habits; researchers theorize that napping may help with stress reduction. Or it’s possible that people who nap take better care of themselves than people who don’t.

Study: Napping Might Help Heart
To read the full article, click here:
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtPrint/WSIHW000/333/7228/535905.html?hide=t&k=basePrint

Dr. Diet weighs in:

Individuals are always on the lookout for easy things they can do to live a healthier lifestyle. Who would think that a daytime siesta may be just what the doctor ordered to help you cope better with your day-to-day work time stressors?

Sleep has been in the news a lot lately. Just last week, a study found that children who get more sleep tend to have a lower body mass index and are less likely to be overweight five years later than kids who get less sleep. Sleeping just an extra hour a night reduced the chances of both young and older children being overweight.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, short sleep duration is associated with weight gain, obesity, increased appetite and increased risks of diabetes and heart problems.

Now more than ever, we are convinced that when you are trying to lose weight, improving your sleep habits can be as important as improving your diet and exercise habits.

One more reason - to get your zzzz’s.