President John F. Kennedy did it. Winston Churchill and Lyndon Johnson planned it for a specific time daily. We're talking about napping.

We've long advocated the benefits of the 10-minute nap (less stress, more energy, focus), but now the National Sleep Foundation says a 20- to 30-minute nap will do even more to improve your mental and physical alertness without interfering with nighttime sleep.

On the other hand, naps of 60 minutes per day or longer are not so good for you; they're associated with a 50 percent increased risk for Type 2 diabetes.

One recent study even claims that a short daytime nap could improve your short-term memory five times. A better-structured, earlier study found that after three months, nappers retained much more of what they learned than their control group, and that group wasn't distracted.

The point is, if done correctly, an afternoon siesta is much better for your health than gulping down an energy shot.

So find a place to rest for 10, 20, or 30 minutes a day (whatever suits you best), use eyeshades to block out light, and recharge. Doing it at the same time every day helps stabilize your circadian rhythms.