My Afternoon Nap

Sunday, September 5th, 2010

I do not need to read a study to know that, in the early afternoon, I become less alert and my body temperature tends to drop, as though I was getting ready to go to sleep at night. Many cultures, particularly in hot countries, have a history of taking siestas in the afternoon, often closing down businesses for an hour or more.
Is my afternoon nap a natural phenomena? New research reported in MEDICAL NEWS TODAY suggests that it is. The results, published in the scientific journal Neuron report that scientists at the University of Manchester, in England, have shown that brain cells that keep us alert slow down after we eat. The sugar in food (glucose) stops the brain cells from producing signals that keep us awake. There may also be a link to obesity and eating disorders
The afternoon nap or siesta is rumored to have originated in Portugal and was adopted by the Spaniards, perhaps as recently as the Spanish American War, but other sources hint at a far more distant origin. The siesta spread from Spain to Latin America and the Philippines. It is also a part of the culture of some Asian and African countries.
Part of the reason for the siesta in the above countries is the heat of midday, but now it appears that the heat was not the only reason for the afternoon nap.
Are other cultures aware of something that seems to have passed us by? Or are these people only following their natural body instincts?
Some employers may be starting to understand that a short nap restores energy and keeps employees more alert. Management Guru F. John Reh reports that, although some employers still frown on sleeping on the job "Now we have companies, and whole industries, encouraging workers to sleep during the business day."
Now, "powernapping" is taking corporate America and Japan by storm. Workers are actively encouraged to take breaks in their day and have a nap; they are even sent on courses to learn how to do this!
Once frowned upon as a lazy worker’s waste of time, Americans--especially homebased entrepreneurs--are waking up to the benefits of napping. The exercise, so to speak, can refresh a tired mind, decrease irritability and boost worker productivity--which can often drop upward of 30 percent for sleepy workers, says Richard Gelula, executive director of the National Sleep Foundation.”People aren’t always willing to talk about their naps because of the stigma attached to it,” Gelula says. “[But] napping is tremendously restorative.” The drowsiness that leads to napping is caused by a number of factors. Untreated sleep disorders, a lack of nighttime sleep, insomnia, use of sedative medications and even stress can cause excessive sleepiness, Gelula says. Few people are getting the eight hours nightly that science shows the average American needs, he adds. It can be worse for homebased entrepreneurs who often work earlier or later hours than their corporate counterparts--and whose offices lack the constant stimulation of the phones, visitors and e-mail found in the corporate tower.
The recurring need to nap even has a name: “excessive daytime sleepiness.” To work best, napping has to be timed right, Anthony says. Each person has a natural circadian rhythm--the body’s internal clock that determines its peak productivity and performance. For her part, Anthony’s dips daily at 1 p.m. So about three times a week, Anthony will slip into bed and saw off 30 minutes--no more. Twenty minutes can restore 100 percent of alertness and function, Gelula says, and those who let a nap go beyond an hour risk awakening sluggish and tired.
Whether you call it a siesta or a nap, perhaps it is what our bodies and our minds need to regenerate, stay alert and take care of business.