Maybe we should rethink that whole “I’ll sleep when I die” thing … especially if dying of a heart attack isn’t actually our goal.

Healthy, working men who take naps are around two-thirds less likely to die of heart-related causes than those who don’t, according to a large study on Greeks published in the February 12, 2007, Archives of Internal Medicine. The researchers hypothesize that naps have “stress-releasing consequences” but recognize that more studies need to be done to confirm this finding.

Last updated and/or approved: March 2010. Original article appeared in summer 2007 former print magazine. This article is not meant as individual advice. Please see our disclaimer.