A short nap at lunchtime is a natural cure. Scientists have found that siesta helps prevent burnout. Until recently, scientists had little understanding of why twenty-minute sleep is the optimal source of vigor.
How useful is siesta?
In Spain, Italy, Greece, as well as in North Africa, residents sleep half an hour a day in the afternoon. European scientists also recommend incorporating siesta into living space. Studies have shown that such a short afternoon nap can be a valuable natural remedy.
It is natural for children to sleep a little at noon in order to gain strength for the afternoon. For many adults, this would be a blessing. Numerous studies are being conducted in the United States. In recent years, large companies have created lounges for employees so that they can sleep peacefully.
In 2002, the city council of Hillerod, a Danish city near Copenhagen, was the subject of research. Result: officials who dozed a bit, worked much better during the day. Since then, employees have been given noon sleep lasting 20 minutes.
Midday sleep is the optimal source of strength, which leads to the rapid restoration of the body, mind and soul. However, it is important that this dream lasts no more than 20 minutes. Otherwise, a person experiences depression and fatigue, and cannot work normally.
A short sleep at lunchtime helps to overcome a low level of vigor during the day, which mainly affects every person. It causes serious performance losses.
Between 13 and 15 hours, concentration and productivity are reduced. At this time, problems with the heart and blood circulation may occur. During this time, the risk of traffic accidents increases threefold.
If you sleep between 13:00 and 15:00, you can improve well-being and mental performance after dinner. The results were obtained in a small study in the USA. But it has also been proven at the Institute of Sleep Medicine Landesnervenclinic Graz.
Research Finding: People who sleep for 20 minutes at noon feel better in the evening.
Those who sleep at noon have a 27% higher productivity than "sleepy ones"
In this regard, the question arises: what happens in the body when someone takes a little nap? The body has a chance to temporarily switch briefly to get rid of the stress of the day.
The heart beats more slowly, the respiratory rate drops, body temperature and blood pressure decrease. Therefore, total energy consumption is reduced. Hormones are secreted, which increases muscle strength and mental involvement. In addition, the supply of oxygen to the body is greatly improved.
It is enough to lean back in a comfortable office chair and arrange everything so as not to worry for 20 minutes. It is recommended not to sleep for more than 20 minutes, as long sleep can significantly worsen the condition.
Why does fatigue appear during the day?
Subjects in the control groups showed a clear decrease in productivity after lunch. Researchers at PLoS One reported that inadequate lighting increases the risk of severe fatigue.
According to the authors of the study, the results suggest that a bright light in the afternoon relieves fatigue in the afternoon. Previous studies have shown that naps work better. However, due to the small sample size, the significance of this study is limited.
5 healthy participants were divided into two groups. One group took a nap of 30 minutes after lunch or watched a 30-minute documentary. Another group watched a documentary either in bright blue light or in orange light.
Three times a day, psychologists tested the mental abilities of the subjects. This is usually done using a test that checks the ability to switch between tasks. This indicates how quickly a person can adapt to new situations.
People who slept during the day showed the greatest productivity in various tasks. Therefore, daytime sleep is recommended to all people to increase the overall psychophysical tone.
