You know that quote by Ben Franklin: "Early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise"? It sounds nice, doesn't it? Ben Franklin also said: "Time is Money." Ben, you're sending me mixed messages here, buddy. Time is money, and I need more sleep, but time is money and I've got a lot of things to do. You do too? We should be naptime friends. I'm going to give you a bunch or reasons why sleep is more important than we think it is, and you're going to go get some. Okay? Cool.

Nappy makes happy: Sleep deprivation can lead to depression, which can lead to sleep deprivation. It's one of those big ol' circles of life. Try checking your bed if you think you're in need of checking your head (of course this is not a suggestion to forego treatment of depression), it may lead to happier times.

Coffee Is Not Blood: If I could drain my body of all its hemoglobin-y goodness and replace the liquid flowing through my veins with coffee, I would consider it. But sleep gives your body time to regulate the hormones that keep you up and running during the day, with or without a skinny latte. If you're not "recharging," you run the risk of weakening your immune system, slowing cognitive thought, and halting muscle regeneration.

A Lower Metabolism: I'm not talking how many calories I burn in a day metabolism; I'm talking the rhythm of your life metabolism. It's true that you won't burn as many calories when you're sleep deprived because you can't do as much, and when you can't do as much, the whole time is money mentality means bunk.

Yeah, yeah, these are things we know, but how do you find time to sleep when there's so much to do? Compartmentalizing seems to be key here. Here's some algebra: working hours are from A o'clock to B o'clock. Relaxation, social, and family hours are from C o'clock to D o'clock. But by hour X, the bed is your highest commitment. Scheduling sleep may seem like crazy talk, but it can be a total boon in getting your circadian rhythms in tip-top shape. You wouldn't go a day without eating, or brushing your teeth; going days without adequate sleep is just as unhealthy. Feel free to show this to your boss if she wonders why you've decided to curl up under your desk for some work time fun with napping. It's on the Internet and therefore just as good as a doctor's note.