It’s time to normalize naps

With global temperatures likely to rise significantly over the next few decades and American workplaces continuing to be impacted by the pandemic, Americans demand fundamental changes in how we live and work. There’s never been a better time. And you should start by normalizing your post-lunch nap.

Deflated sleep during the hottest part of the day has a long history and is practiced in many cultures. Wider adoption will reduce the strain on power grids during the hottest hours of the day and reduce the number of heat-related injuries. People who work outside and generally make everyone feel better. Napping is not “lazy”. That’s just a good idea.

History of siesta

Although siesta is often associated with Spain, the siesta’s true origins are in ancient Rome. Sexta—Six hours after dawn, around 1:00 pm in winter and around 3:00 pm in summer, they eat, rest, and recovery. The practice of shutting everything down during the day is still practiced in much of Italy and many other countries, especially where it’s hot during the day. no longer. Only about 40% of Spaniards surveyed said they take a nap during the day.

The science behind afternoon naps

According to sleep scientists, our snooze schedule can be viewed as a conflict between two opposing urges.our “sleep load”, or Homeostatic sleep tendencyincreases the longer you are awake. The longer you stay awake, the more you want to sleep. On the other side of the scale are the circadian signals of arousal. It usually starts early in the afternoon to wake us up. Naps can occupy that sweet spot when the drive to sleep is high and the drive to wake up is low. Renowned sleep scientist Charles Chasler“It’s the perfect time for a nap.”

Is the siesta our greatest tool for fighting global warming?

NoSiesta is not our greatest tool for fighting global warming. Inexpensive renewable energy. But siesta still helps a little. Your body temperature drops while you sleep, and you don’t need as much air conditioning as you do when you’re awake.If everyone took off for a few hours during the day, it would probably use less power Reduce fossil fuel burning.yeah maybe Need to make up for some of that with lights later in the day but still net positive.

Personal pros and cons of napping

Studies on the effects of napping in the afternoon show conflicting information. Short naps during the day improve cognitive functionbut frequent naps are also involved high blood pressure. a 2019 study in medical journal heart People who napped once or twice a week were 48% less likely to have a cardiovascular event than those who didn’t. 2015 study in the journal sleepy People who napped for an hour or more a day were almost twice as likely to develop cardiovascular disease as those who didn’t. (In general, an hour nap is too long.) Naps have been shown to improve athletic performance performance and our happinessHowever Long naps can lead to disorientation and poorer cognitive ability.

Ultimately, although there is conflicting evidence about the effects of habitual naps on cognition, blood pressure, obesity, metabolic traits, and mortality, there is solid evidence that the urge for afternoon naps is genetic. “Daytime naps are biologically driven and not just environmental or behavioral choices.” Conclusion of Hassan Saeed Dashti of the MGH Center for Genomic Medicine, extensive research Genetics and naps.

If napping in the middle of the day is part of our genes, it’s nothing but tyranny that those among us who don’t nap expect us to be in the open. . woke up After lunch?

Tomorrow, today’s workplace where it is easy to take a nap

Thankfully, some workplaces are sending messages in favor of napping. Co-sleeping used to be a fireable crime, More and more companies are encouraging their employees to catch their Z numbers.At work. His Google campuses around the world are equipped with high-tech nap rooms called “EnergyPods,” which feature soothing lighting, soft music and relaxing vibrations. For ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s, giving employees a time and place to take a nap is “Another way to care for the people who work thereEven button-down accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers has a nap room in its Swiss office and offers flexible schedules for napping..

The Changing American Workplace

The work-from-home revolution sparked by COVID The pandemic has shaken up what it means to work around the world. Priorities are being reassessed as Americans strive toward a greater work-life balance.In an economy with a revived American workforce and historically low unemployment, take a nap. There’s never been a better time to demand your rights. The siesta must be normalized and must be done now. I call on each of you to march to your boss’s office And then, “What do we want? A nap! When do you want it?”…zzz“