Happiness is an afternoon nap...

The urge to nap arises between one and four p.m., when the belly's full and body temperatures tend to drop.

"No day is so bad it can’t be fixed with a nap," observed comic Carrie Snow.

A Cornell University survey showed that over 80% of college students "power nap." More than one third of adults take a mid-day snooze at least once during the work week.

It's okay, according to William A. Anthony and Camille W. Anthony, of The Art of Napping at Work, "Workplace napping is a natural, no-cost way to increase worker productivity."

Successful historical nappers included Napoleon Bonaparte, John F. Kennedy, Johannes Brahms, Winston Churchill, Thomas Edison, Ronald Reagan, Leonardo da Vinci, and Albert Einstein. Yes, men typically nap an hour longer than women and women feel guiltiest about napping.

Even the shortest siesta works and makes you feel a whole lot better. Studies showed that naps improve creativity and judgement. The National Sleep Foundation reported that everyday job stress may be alleviated by taking a 15- to 20-minute nap to "restore alertness, memory, and curb the effects of fatigue."

Need more justification? A study from Greece linked napping to a 30% drop in coronary heart disease.

"Naps are nature's way of reminding you that life is nice - like a beautiful, softly swinging hammock strung between birth and infinity," explained journalist Peggy Noonan.

Yawn!