SIESTA – THE MAGIC MIDDAY 40 WINKS!

 

If you are a P.G. Woodhouse buff you must know that “Stolen kisses and afternoon naps, like stolen reading, are always the sweetest and most refreshing.”  We will leave the stolen kisses for another day and talk about the afternoon naps today.

You’ve just finished your lunch. You are about to resume your work, but you just can’t concentrate. Your eyes droop and you feel lazy and sleepy. All you can imagine is a bed where you can lie down peacefully and doze off. Does this scenario sound far too familiar? Don't worry, you are not alone. Feeling drowsy after you eat, especially after lunch, is a common experience. Daytime sleepiness can be frustrating as it makes us feel lethargic and affects our productiveness during the middle of the day but it seems the world has become a Nap-a-valley!

The siesta is historically common throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe and Mainland China. It is the traditional daytime sleep of Spain and, through Spanish influence, the Philippines, and many Hispanic American countries. In Dalmatia (coastal Croatia), the traditional afternoon nap is known as pižolot (from Venetian pixolotto). The Spanish word siesta derives originally from the Latin word hora sexta "sixth hour" (counting from dawn, hence "midday rest"). 

In some parts of the world, life practically comes to a grinding halt in the early afternoon. People head home from work for a siesta, as it’s known in Spain, or a riposo, as it’s called in Italy. The Parisians call it ‘baporiyu’, a noon-time clandestine quickie, which keeps you fresh and alert for the rest of the day.

Whether that means a short nap of 20 minutes (the traditional meaning of the word siesta) or a major mid-afternoon break varies from one country to another. But in many parts of the world—including Greece, the Philippines, Mexico, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Nigeria—naps are seamlessly woven into the tapestry of everyday life.

History and cultural variation:

The tradition began as a necessity in some parts of the world, where, in the afternoon, the heat reaches its peak and it becomes too hot to be outside. That temperature climb combined with a heavy mid-day meal would send residents retreating to the comforts of home, where they could take a rest and wait for the heat to ease up. Over time, different cultures have tweaked the napping habit to suit their preferences. Some examples:

·         In China: Workers often take a break after lunch and put their heads on their desks for an hour-long nap. It’s considered a Constitutional right.

·         In Italy: The riposo may begin anytime between noon and 1:30pm and run until 2:30pm to 4:00pm. Businesses shut down, and public venues like museums and churches lock their doors so their employees can go home for a leisurely lunch and a snooze.

·         In Spain: The siesta is deeply ingrained, as businesses often close for hours to accommodate the mid-day rest. While the siesta can span two hours, only a fraction of the time is actually spent napping; first, there’s lunch with family and friends, then a rest. Because of the mid-day break, people often work later into the evening.

·         In the Middle East: Many schools make this sieste mandatory so the kids do not have to work when the temperature in the classroom is close to 30 or 35 ºC. Arabs love their siesta as the hot climate of the Arab Peninsula induces midday drowsiness.

·         In the U.S., napping isn’t quite a cultural tradition—at least not yet. But they’re gradually moving closer to that lifestyle. Some big-name companies (like Google) are becoming increasingly nap-friendly, largely because they believe that it increases productivity. 

The Indian scenario:

Bengalis love their siesta as much as they love mustard hilsa, Rabindra Sangeet, and rasogulla. A real Bengali would love to have bhaat-ghoom, as it’s said in Bangla (bhaat: rice/ghoom: sleep). Assam, Odisha and Bihar too get a bit snoozey and go slow in afternoon post lunch session and Goa comes to a complete halt!

Siesta has health benefits as well. In Ayurveda it’s known as Vaamkukshi and is recommended to those who suffer from chronic constipation, indigestion and arthritis. But it mustn’t exceed 30 minutes. The Greek explorer and traveller Megasthenes, who came to India more than two millennia ago, wrote in his book Indica that the people of India loved to sleep during day-time, especially after taking the midday meals. He further said that these people are like the Greeks, who also loved a siesta! Greeks even had a goddess, who they believed induced afternoon drowsiness!

The Science

Our pancreas produces insulin to regulate blood sugar levels. A heavy meal leads to a higher production of insulin which spikes our blood sugar levels. An increase in insulin results in more sleep hormones being produced by our body, which eventually get converted into serotonin (the key hormone that stabilizes our mood) and melatonin (a hormone that is produced in response to darkness) in our brain. This can ultimately induce sleepiness. Furthermore, the number of carbohydrates we eat at lunch can also affect how sluggish we feel afterward. For instance, carbohydrate-containing foods like bread, pasta, rice, and potatoes stimulate the production of serotonin, which can also cause us to feel sleepy. Other factors that might contribute to your daytime sleepiness are irregular sleeping patterns at night or reduced amounts of physical activity.

Health Benefits

Napping offers various benefits for healthy adults, including:

• Relaxation 
• Reduced fatigue 
• Increased alertness - A NASA study on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34 percent and alertness 100 percent 
• Improved mood. 
• Lowers blood pressure - with a 37 percent reduction in coronary mortality, possibly because of reduced cardiovascular stress associated with daytime sleep 
• Improved performance - quicker reaction time and better memory. In one study, participants who napped regularly for 10-, 20-, and 30-minute periods improved their performance on cognitive tests of memory and vigilance conducted in the subsequent two and a half hours. While those who napped more than 20 minutes suffered from grogginess, the 10-minute nappers experienced an immediate boost in performance. 
• Calms the nerves - A University of California, Berkeley study found that a 90-minute nap can potentially keep you calm. 
• Enhances creativity - The mind loves a nap. Daytime sleep can enhance creative thinking, boost cognitive processing, improve memory recall and generally clear out the cobwebs 
• Boosts willpower

So there are good reasons to do it! Science proves that napping lowers stress, increases energy and enhances your mood when you haven't had enough sleep at night. It can even improve creativity and productivity.

A short, 20-minute nap can improve alertness and performance, plus your brain stays in the lightest REM-stage (Rapid Eye Movement stage) of sleep. If you nap longer – 30- to 60-minutes – you run the risk of waking up groggy. Those are the times when you would have been better to not nap at all! If a longer snooze is more your style, aim for at least 90 minutes. That gives your body time to get through a full sleep cycle, leaving you more energized.

Let me end the discussion about the afternoon nap with a mention of Urdu poet Daagh Dehalv who compared a pleasurable siesta to accidentally holding a damsel’s tender and chiseled finger, Ek halki-si jhapki, jyon haath aayee kisi naazneen ki ungli...