You may be familiar with that overwhelming feeling of drowsiness that tends to hit us during the mid-afternoon. It is common, it occurs as much as if we have eaten or not, and it is caused by a natural drop in the body’s state of alertness. So if you find yourself struggling with sleep in the middle of the day and you’re in a place where you can take a nap, the smartest thing to do is take a nap.
Taking time for a short nap will relieve sleepiness almost immediately and improve alertness for several hours after waking up.
Why do we take a nap? Well, so we can catch up with lost sleep, anticipate the loss of sleep to avoid feeling sleepy later, to enjoy, out of boredom or to pass the time …
Napping is a relatively common activity. In fact, about 50% of people say they nap at least once a week.
By country, nap rates are higher in countries such as Greece, Brazil and Mexico that have a traditional culture of siesta, which incorporates “quiet time” in the early afternoon for people to go home to sleep. nap. In such countries, up to 72% of people will take a nap about four times a week.
The advantages of napping
Naps are not only beneficial because they make us feel less sleepy and more alert, but because they improve our cognitive functioning, reaction times, short-term memory, and even our mood.
