Happy Napping Day peeps! Did you know that today, the 14th of March, is officially the day we get to celebrate napping? The lovely people at Casper, the makers of luxury mattresses, point out the significance of this date and what it means to all of us.

Before you grab that pillow and doze off in celebratory bliss, do have a read on the importance of napping. Very few of us have the luxury of doing the ‘Full Monty’ of 8 hours straight. The good news is even short power naps can make a world of difference.

Some Fun Facts on Sleep:

• Adults need a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night to function properly.
• The recommended hours of sleep per night for adults is 8 hours.
• Most people go through 5 stages of sleep every night.
• Most people go through REM sleep 4 to 5 times a night.
• REM stands for ‘Random Eye Movement’, a semi-state of sleep that allows you to dream.
• A lack of sufficient sleep has been linked to chronic health issues including high blood pressure, heart disease and even diabetes.
• Research has also shown that a lack of sleep leads to weight gain!
• A lack of sleep can kill you faster than a lack of food! Adults can survive up to 2 weeks without food, but only a maximum of 11 days sans sleep.
• Famous fiction characters who love to sleep are Sleeping Beauty and Rip Van Winkle, remember them? 🙂

The creative team at Casper has come up with this lovely infographic on Napping 101. Didn’t get your 8 hours last night? Scroll down for tips on how to make the most of short snoozes.