Every year, the Monday after Daylight Saving Time is called National Napping Day - a gentle reminder that losing an hour of sleep can leave many people dragging. The unofficial holiday celebrates something humans have relied on for centuries - the simple power of a nap.

What a nap means in terms of the brain being a computer or electrochemical machine - is that it gets the opportunity to shut down and rest then reboot - which even with the computer you're using now - brings it to a fresh start with greater efficiency.

I have always considered meditation for more than 10 minutes a form of napping wherein the brain stops the 'chatter' and slows down, sometimes to the point of the person falling asleep.

Napping and meditation are not for everyone. I, for one, never nap or feel a need to meditate - as I sleep 9 hours a night.

People who have sleep issues often need a nap to get them through the day. A prime example is President Trump, who seems to be nodding off more and more these days - which is most likely part of the aging process.

Longer naps can lead to something cold 'sleep inertia,' that groggy feeling when you wake up and feel more tired than before.

Napping too late in the day can also interfere with nighttime sleep, especially for people who already struggle with insomnia. While a nap can temporarily mask fatigue, it's not a replacement for consistently getting enough sleep at night.

The key to a good nap is timing and length. Experts often recommend short naps short - around 20 minutes - earlier in the afternoon.

There are many factors that affect napping - from health issues where sleep allows the body to heal physically and emotionally - to boredom - as another way to pass the time.

Everyone is programmed differently when it comes to napping - from childhood to seniors - which seems to bring napping full circle.