Happiness is an afternoon nap. The urge to rest often arrives between one and four, when the belly is full and the body temperature gently dips. Give yourself permission to pause. A few quiet minutes can feel like sunshine on the soul.

“No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap,” joked comedian Carrie Snow. Many students take quick “power” naps — and plenty of adults do too. Short rests ease stress and restore alertness, helping creativity and judgment return to center.

Workplace naps have their champions. William A. Anthony and Camille W. Anthony, authors of The Art of Napping at Work, called a brief siesta a natural, no-cost way to boost productivity. History agrees. Famous nappers include Napoleon Bonaparte, John F. Kennedy, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein.

Even the shortest rest can renew your energy. A calm corner, a folded sweater as a pillow, ten or twenty minutes with eyes closed. Let the mind soften. Let the body unclench. When you rise, carry that refreshed spirit into the rest of your day.

As journalist Peggy Noonan wrote, “Naps are nature’s way of reminding you that life is nice,” like a softly swinging hammock between birth and infinity.