Yesterday I was in a meeting from 9am and got home at 2.30pm and by the time I opened the door to ma casa I was pretty shattered. I had been up from 6am (which isn't too unusual however since the clocks have just gone forward to BST (British Summer Time) at the weekend there, my body really feels like it was a 5am start) and I had just returned from dog/house sitting. So when I got home, and had sorted a few things out, I decided that the best thing was to lie down for a wee 20 minute nap. 3 hours later I awoke (reluctantly) and was pretty shocked that I could just snooze off like that for no particular reason, so I decided that I needed to do some research so I asked Google and was introduced to a website called 'Siesta Awareness'!! I'd like to share with you all some of the interesting facts that I've learnt...
"Research shows that the majority of people suffer from tiredness twice in every 24hour period. We are what's called Bi-phasic; we need two periods of sleep; a long one at night and a shorter one during the day. The early afternoon brings a drop in energy levels, not as severe as night time, but sufficient to make it difficult to concentrate and think clearly. By having a short nap we can help ourselves think more clearly, be more productive and reduce the risk of heart disease. Tiredness can also be a cause of accidents. A short 10-20 minute nap is all that is needed to restore our concentration, alertness and improve productivity for the afternoon.
- More energy
- Improve productivity by over 30%
- Improve alertness by up to 100%
- Reduce stress and the risk of heart disease by 34%
- Better negotiation and communication
- Reduce risk of accidents at work and on the road
- Happiness and well being
- Warning - Possible slight risk of developing Diabetes Type 2. (Yeah, this point doesn't really go in favor of my decision to introduce the Scottish Siesta into my life....so I'm going to ignore this one!)"
It's a really interesting read with a lot more facts and history so if you fancy expanding your knowledge on this subject I suggest dropping by this website...
After more research I learnt that the reason I ended up sleeping for 3 hours is because one sleep cycle lasts for around 90mins. I also read that the reason that the siesta hasn't been adopted in Britain is because it's viewed as being 'weak'.
Well I am proud to announce that I am weak!! Admittedly I have re-considered the length of my siesta and shall be aiming for 20 minutes, but I am signing up for this siesta milarky. Who knew, but I think that the Spanish (oh and most of the rest of the world btw) are on to something here. I owe my friend Jorge an apology as he tried to introduce me to siestas a long time ago, and even had to put up with me making fun of him because he went for a nap in the afternoon, but the good news is you're the one laughing last my friend!! Perhaps I'll give some more of your crazy johnny-foreigner ways a try in the future....but one step at a time.
Only 5 hours to my siesta....woopwoop!!
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