Spain – Siesta Originating in Spain and parts of Latin America, the siesta is perhaps one of the most well-known daytime snoozing traditions across the globe.
Nike, Proctor & Gamble, Facebook, Ben and Jerry's, and Zappos have built and designated rooms for naps.
Keep it short. An effective nap doesn't have to be long—or even involve real sleep. Even the 15-minute "cat nap" can be very helpful in getting your brain unstuck or just bringing you a little refreshment. In fact, a short nap is usually better than a long one in terms of helping you finish out a workday strong.
Spain...the land of Bullfighting, Tapas, and Soccer -I mean Futbol- and let's not forget about Siesta! But what is Siesta? Siesta is a short nap taken in the early afternoon after a heavy meal. The term comes from the latin phrase, hora sexta, meaning the sixth hour after dawn.
In Japan, inemuri literally translates to dozing or nodding off, but in this case, it can also mean “sleeping while present.” It's a culturally accepted power nap that you can take in the middle of the workday in Japan.
Some office workers in Japan won't make use of the nap rooms. Pre-scheduling a nap, some say, is slacking off. But that doesn't mean they won't take naps. No, no: instead, these workers will fall asleep at their desks.
Offices in Japan are installing "nap boxes" designed for staff to sleep standing up. The bizarre sleep stations are aimed at white collar employees who are known for logging excruciatingly long hours. Resembling a sleek water heater, the device supports workers' heads, knees and rears so that they will not fall over.
But no other group of people takes their naps quite as seriously as those living in Spain. The siesta - which means "a midday or afternoon rest or nap" - has become a big part of Spanish culture. Many businesses in Barcelona and other parts of the country still shut down every day so that siestas can take place.
Americans and Japanese tend to nap more than people in Germany, Mexico, or the U.K. 65% of Canadians do not nap at all. Siestas are the most common throughout Spain, the Mediterranean, and countries with strong Spanish influence. Siestas, or mid-day naps, were first mentioned in the Koran, the religious text of Islam.
Siestas are historically common throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, the Middle East, mainland China, and the Indian subcontinent. The siesta is an old tradition in Spain and, through Spanish influence, most of Latin America.
Most will explain the Hour Rule to mean one hour in the crib. If your child falls asleep prior to that hour ending, then you get your child up the moment they wake. If they don't sleep at all for the full hour, you get them up at the hour. This is about the extent to the Hour Rule for most.
Put a clipboard, or folders or something in your lap and hold a pencil in your right hand as if you're about to write something. Put your left hand on your telephone as if you're expecting a call. Balance yourself so that your head is supported by your torso and go for it.
In other words, most adults would likely nap in the afternoon if circumstances allowed them. Restworks' 2021 research indicates that employees nap more when working from home – and that they would at the office too, if they could. In fact, 70% of workers agree that employers should encourage naps at the workplace.
Napping can both help and hurt sleep debt. If you didn't get enough sleep the night before, a nap can help you feel less sluggish during the day. Keep your naps short. Aim for 10 to 20 minutes.
Google, Ben & Jerry's, and Cisco have all embraced napping as an on-the-job perk. Employees at online retail giant Zappos are also on-the-clock nappers thanks to special nap rooms. As reported about the practice on Yahoo Finance: “providing a nap room feels just as natural as providing health insurance…
Is a Two-Hour Nap Too Long? A 2-hour nap may make you feel groggy after you wake up and you might have trouble falling asleep at night. Aim for napping up to 90 minutes, 120-minutes if necessary. Napping every day for 2 hours could be a sign of sleep deprivation and should be discussed with a doctor.
These factors explain why one of the many Spanish customs involves taking a nap after lunch. This means that most businesses and stores close between 2 and 4 p.m. so employees can go home, eat, and take a rest from working during the hottest part of the day.
Historians believe it originated to give farmers time to rest and restore energy in hot climates, but now Spain, Italy and other European countries use the midday pause to go home, eat a leisurely lunch with family and often nap.
Here in Australia the siesta sounds rather exotic but for many people it is simply a part of their everyday life.
Afternoon nap is a traditional practice commonly seen in populations of Mediterranean, Latin American, and Chinese countries. In Chinese society, it is widely accepted that afternoon nap, as a complementary sleep, is a healthy activity and is especially good for older adults who need longer sleeping time.
Singapore is the most fatigued nation in the world, according to research by Sleepseeker, a manufacturing firm. Singapore was placed second in the countries with the highest average annual working hours at 2,238. Mexico landed on top, only a few hours above Singapore with 2,255. China was third with 2,174.
In most countries, sleeping on the job isn't just frowned upon, it may get you fired. But in Japan, napping in the office is common and culturally accepted. And in fact, it is often seen as a subtle sign of diligence: You must be working yourself to exhaustion.
Working is one of the causes of reduced sleep. Ikeda et al reported that the average sleep duration in Japanese daytime workers was 6.5 hour, which was 1 hour shorter than that stated in the OECD report.
According to a 2021 survey by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Japanese sleep an average of seven hours and 22 minutes. This is the shortest duration among the member countries and almost an hour less than the OECD average of 8 hours and 24 minutes.