July 12, 2006
Our body needs Power Naps
According to studies, our bodies need power naps.
Biological need for naps
In recent years, studies have suggested a biological need for afternoon naps. Researchers found that subjects of the studies felt that it was easiest to fall asleep at night and in the afternoon [citation needed]. Contrary to popular belief, eating lunch does not bring on drowsiness in the afternoon[citation needed]. There is simply a loss of alertness and a decrease in body temperature that occurs around midday, which brings on this drowsiness. These symptoms are similar to what happens at night during the first stage of sleep and are caused by Ultradian rhythms in the Circadian rhythm, also called the "internal body clock". The studies have shown that there is a strong biological tendency for humans to become tired and possibly fall asleep in the middle of the afternoon. A siesta, or a slightly longer nap, can often satisfy this desire for sleep and allow a person to wake up feeling refreshed and much more alert. Research shows that the drop in body temperature causing drowsiness around midday is considerably more pronounced in men than women.
There is a contrary tendency to wake for an hour or two in the middle of the night. See segmented sleep.
Siesta, a relative of the Power Nap
It seems some people knew long ago, the benefits of a power nap. Ever heard of the word Siesta?
Origins of the siesta
The siesta is the traditional daily sleep of the Southern region of Alentejo, in Portugal, known as sesta. It was adopted also by the Spanish and, through European influence, by Latin American countries and the Philippines. Afternoon sleep is also a common habit in China, Taiwan, India, Greece, The Middle East and North Africa. In these countries, the heat can be unbearable in the early afternoon, making a midday break in the comfort of one's home ideal.
However, the original concept of a siesta was merely that of a midday break. This break was intended to allow people time to be spent with their friends and family. A nap was not necessarily part of the daily affair of a siesta.Others suggest that the siesta actually has very recent origins, and dates back only to the Spanish Civil War.1
The afternoon nap
Today, the terms "siesta" refers to a short nap (15 to 30 minutes) taken after the midday meal. Siestas are traditionally no longer than 30 minutes and are more of a light rest than any kind of serious sleep. Other names for a siesta may include: cat nap, snooze, doze, power nap, or simply, afternoon nap.
In Argentina, the siesta is supposed to be between 13:00 and 16:00, and in some regions, such as Santiago del Estero, it's called "sacred" because people don't want to be disturbed. Business hours in these regions are usually 8:00 to 12:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. Other business hours (extended) vary between 6:00 to 13:00 and from 15:00 to 21:00, but most either add or shift 30 minutes to the regular 8-12/16-20 times. In bigger cities, namely Buenos Aires, and with the time (and money) it takes to commute, businesses just use the regular 9-to-5 time.
Children usually don't "sleep the siesta" but eventually they learn to, while in college, or when they get a job. Some people sleep the whole time (up to two hours), but most people watch television or take a short 15 to 30 minute nap. In any case, the streets are deserted at the siesta time in those cities.
Midday power naps big in Japan
The latest fad to sweep sleep-deprived Japan is midday naps after lunch, right on the desk or at any number of new nap salons.
A Washington Post correspondent said Japanese department stores and catalogues now sell "desk pillows," while other workers use plush towels to lay across their arms for in-office napping.
"When we see people napping during lunchtime, we think, 'They are getting ready to put 100 percent in during the afternoon,' " said Paul Nolasco, a Toyota spokesman in Tokyo.
"Nobody frowns upon it. And no one hesitates to take one (a nap) during lunchtime either.
"Naohisa Uchimura, a sleep specialist at Kurume University in southern Japan, said Japanese workers get an average of between just five and six hours of sleep a night.
"People are realizing that our lack of sleep is actually slowing us down," Uchimura said. "To be in top shape well into the evening hours at the office, you need to take a nap.
"Meanwhile, researchers have suggested that nappers not let their afternoon snooze last more than 30 minutes, or they could fall into a deeper sleep and awaken feeling more groggy than refreshed.
United Press International - NewsTrack - Midday snooze fad sweeps Japan
Power Nap picture
Here is a picture of a shcool that has implemented the power naps.
FUKUOKA, Japan – For high school students everywhere, the classroom desk is often a place to catch a few winks of sleep.But instead of receiving a scolding, dozing teen-agers at Meizen High School are more likely these days to find their teachers dimming the lights, putting on classical music and joining their students for a power nap.
Japan keen on naps!
It seems as though japan is really implementing naps at school. Here is another story about power naps at a high school.
So take a nap, Japan
High school students draped over their desks in slumber might tick off the teacher. But at Meizen High School in Kurume, Japan, nodding off in class is required, The Washington Post reports. In fact, the teachers dim the lights, put on classical music and join their students for a 15-minute power nap after lunch.
It's not just a response to national sleep deprivation. Napping is part of a mental alertness craze that has reached even corporate Japan in the belief that it enhances productivity. At Toyota, power naps have become commonplace -- particularly because the company switches off the lights during lunchtime to save energy. Department stores sell "desk pillows." And in the past two years, nap salons have popped up in Japan's major cities -- $4.50 a nap. Sleep researchers recommend naps of no more than 30 minutes, lest slumber result in more grog. So, a salon in Tokyo offers customers coffee before nap time. Caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in, so the java acts as a natural wake-up call.
Was that Pittsburgh cop caught napping on the job just ahead of his time?
