A couple of days ago I was debating about whether to prepare for an upcoming speaking engagement or to go back to bed when a brilliant idea hit me – I could work in bed!

It should be fairly obvious that working in bed is one of the advantages of working from home but I swear to god that over the last five years I never once thought of it.

I mean I write my columns and my blog in bed during the wee hours of the morning but that’s not actually work because well, I don’t know why – it just isn’t.

Now the attractions of working in bed are numerous.  There’s my down comforter and it does actually comfort me – it’s warm, soft, airy – it’s just absolutely perfect.  Then there are the down pillows that cradle my back while I read or write.

There’s a bedside table for my drink and since my bed is big there’s the advantage of being able to have like 20 books all within arm’s reach.

Of course the big bonus of working from bed is that I can nap when I get sleepy without having to take responsibility for deciding to take a nap – I can just sort of nod off with no guilt involved.

Now why did I say guilt in the same sentence with sleep?  I’ll tell you why – everyone knows that naps are for lazy people and anyone who naps after age six has some powerful ‘splaining to do.  And the person who gets up at 6:00 has more stars in their crown than the ne’er-do-well who sleeps in until 8:00 or, heaven forbid, 9:00.

I mean for a nation that talks non-stop about taking care of our bodies we can lay on some abuse when they get sleepy.   We slap ‘em, throw cold water on ‘em, pinch ‘em, and if all attempts to stay awake fail we say terrible things to ourselves after we wake up.

Lazy, good-for-nothing day sleeper!  Bad, bad, bad!

So considering the guilt trip we lay on ourselves about sleeping here’s one of the best ideas I’ve heard lately.  My daughter Elizabeth and her husband Emmet declared their house a “guilt-free sleep zone.”  Just think for a minute about the freedom that brings.

I was talking to Elizabeth this afternoon and she said she had to go because they were taking a family nap.  Doesn’t that sound like heaven?  A family nap and they were happy to be able to do it – no guilt, go accusations of laziness, just joy and sleepy heads.

So here’s some advice.  For god’s sake go to bed.  Take a nap, read, work, snuggle with the dog, play with your toddler, write in your journal, have sex, count your toes.  It’ll do you good and when you’re good – well, the world’s just a better place.