Siesta has multiple benefits to our body and our psyche, as a German expert emphasizes, but beware the Spanish Siesta Siesta! And remember that there is an ideal time to nap do not exceed.
Siesta is one of the things used by the person to rest the body a little and mobilize energy for the rest of the day, and may resemble many laziness and inaction, but this is completely wrong. On the contrary, those who take the afternoon nap regularly not only live better health and vitality, but then work more effectively.
But the nap period may vary from one people to another. In Spain they call it "Siesta", and the traditional Spanish nap lasts for about two hours, with a deep sleep time of about 90 minutes. The short nap is called "powernap" for shorter time, and is from the words "energy" and "nap."
But does a two-hour Spanish nap fit with the demands of working life and employment? of course no.
"The ideal nap time is between 10 and 30 minutes," says Dr. Jürgen Tsule, a German sleep researcher. "For example, my naps are no more than 15 minutes."
It is important to wake up before the deep sleep phase, which occurs after about 30 minutes of sleep, explains the German expert. "Waking up properly becomes more difficult after a deep sleep, and the result is constant drowsiness."
"Americans have added the term power to refer to the impact of performance enhancement, which I would describe as a relatively short sleep cycle," says Mr Outsole.
This short break can reduce stress and improve performance. The noon snooze is "not just an unnecessary habit" but it is part of our natural and biological program and "unfortunately there are still some who consider it negative, despite its many positives."
What are the advantages of a short afternoon snooze?
A short afternoon nap has many advantages over the body and is not limited to just overcoming temporary fatigue in the middle of the day, such as:
1. Increased concentration : After 20 minutes of napping, you can work more focused, increase your rate of attention and overcome the lowest levels of body energy at noon. According to sleep experts, mental performance increases after a sleep shift during the day by about 35%, becoming more productive at work.
2. Great physical strength : Physical performance is also greatly increased by a short afternoon nap. Is napping before exercise useful? Many athletes, whether boxers or footballers, resort to a short nap during the day.
Ease of weight loss : A study of the American Association of Obesity Studies in Las Vegas found that lack of sleep leads to an increased risk of overweight and obesity. Another study by Oxford University found fatigue stimulates appetite. With the right amount of sleep you can also influence your eating habits and your body weight.
4. Health promotion : The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Athens and the Harvard School of Public Health studied the relationship between midday nap and cardiovascular disease prevention. A total of 23,681 people participated, and their sleep habits were different at the start of the study, which lasted for several years. The result was: People who had a midday nap had a 37% lower risk of heart attack.
5 - a flow of hormones of happiness : there is no better than a short nap at noon to feel a clear mood. During it, the secretion of the hormone of happiness, serotonin, increases in your blood.
What is the best time to take a short nap during the day?
The German expert answers that the best time to close your eyes between 1 and 2 pm. If you take your nap after three o'clock in the afternoon, it will (negatively) affect your internal clock.