Sometimes after dinner we feel like taking a half hour nap. If there is such an opportunity, then we are happy to use it. But mostly we sit in the office, forcing ourselves to work. However, by doing so, we seriously harm our health. Many peoples understand this, and without a siesta they cannot imagine their life …
Sixth hour
Siesta was known in ancient Rome, and even its name comes from the Latin "Leg of Sexta" - the sixth hour. Interestingly, six "Roman" hours fell at noon, since the first hour of the day in Rome began to count from early morning.
It is not known for certain when the siesta first appeared in Spain. Some historians believe that this is not such an ancient tradition, and the Spaniards began to sleep during the day only in the 17th century, when a new-fashioned fun appeared at the court - daytime rest. One way or another, Spain seems to be dying out in the afternoon, which shocks many foreigners. From about one in the afternoon until 4-5 pm, almost no one works in the country, the offices are closed, and all Spaniards are sleeping peacefully.
True, then they have to work late, but no one is discouraged. After having a great sleep during the day, the Spaniards have fun almost all night, visiting numerous bars, restaurants, entertainment establishments. And they do it with the whole family - children who had a rest during a siesta also actively participate in nightlife …
Useful "quiet hour"
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Many books, articles and serious dissertations and studies have been written about the benefits of siesta. It has been proven that naps are of great health value. For example, Greek scientists recently discovered that siesta protects against cardiovascular disease. According to their research, just half an hour of naps at least three days a week reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke by 37%. This happens because during sleep the level of stress hormones decreases, as a result of which nervous tension is relieved.
Researchers from Greece say: “For healthy adults, siesta is an opportunity to relieve the effects of stress, and therefore, to extend your life. In countries where siesta is the norm, there are far fewer people dying of heart disease."
And scientists from Israel have proven that siesta has the property of restoring memory function. It was previously thought that only a long night's sleep can rest the brain and refresh memory, but it turned out that a short day's rest is just as effective.
Doctors from England have gone even further - they say that the Spanish siesta has deep physiological prerequisites and is vital. They discovered why people after eating feel lethargic and unable to do any work. Study leader Denis Burdakov says: “People, like animals, become sleepy and less active after eating. We found that an increase in blood glucose levels causes certain brain cells to stop sending signals that keep the body awake.” That is, our brain simply physically needs a rest after a meal - because a person who is rested after a meal “turns on” again.
So the Spaniards have at their disposal a unique tool to restore health. It is no coincidence that siesta is called "Spanish yoga". A short rest after eating allows a person to completely relax and gain strength for life.
Interestingly, the healing power of afternoon sleep has long been recognized in Russian medical institutions - remember the "quiet hour" after lunch … But in our country, it is believed that rest is needed only for the sick, while healthy people also need it so as not to become sick.
Da Vinci's dream
Interestingly, the Spaniards do not spend all their siesta time directly for sleep. Arriving home, people first have dinner, talk with their relatives, and only then go to take a nap, and do not fall asleep at the same time. According to statistics, eight out of ten Spaniards consider siesta time the best for sex. As a result, sleep takes no more than half an hour, but it turns out that this time is quite enough to restore strength.
Doctors say that 10-20-30 minutes of naps allow the body to fully rest. Moreover, if you sleep for more than 40 minutes during the day, it will painfully affect the person's condition. According to research by scientists, 20-30 minutes is the first shallow phase of sleep, which perfectly refreshes the brain. Allowing the body to fall into deep sleep will have the exact opposite effect. The person will wake up broken and in a bad mood.
The Spaniards are well aware that too long rest will only make things worse, and therefore resort to various tricks so as not to sleep too long. So, during a siesta, it is not customary to get comfortable and comfortable. Instead of a comfortable bed - a sofa, instead of a cozy pajamas - ordinary clothes, and all this without a soft blanket and a comfortable pillow. What is surprising - rest in such, in our opinion, Spartan conditions is really beneficial!
The most famous Spaniard, Salvador Dali, who was distinguished by extraordinary creative activity and constant cheerfulness, spent his siesta like this. He sat in a chair, put a metal tray beside him, held a spoon in his hand and leaned back. As soon as he started to fall asleep, the spoon fell with a crash on the tray and woke the artist up. Dali claimed that it was after such a rest that he worked most fruitfully …
Interestingly, some people long ago intuitively understood the benefits of siesta and short rest. And all these people have achieved outstanding results.
In medicine, there is the concept of "Da Vinci's Dream". The genius slept for 15 minutes every 4 hours, finding this type of rest the most effective and not taking a lot of time from life. Needless to say about all the discoveries, inventions, ingenious works created by da Vinci with this sleep mode …
Thomas Edison, Napoleon, Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, Bruce Lee, Thomas Jefferson and many other famous historical figures allowed themselves a short siesta …
Death instead of sleep
But despite all of the above, in 2005 in Spain, which joined the European Union, they encroached on centuries-old traditions and officially canceled the siesta, introducing the usual lunch break - in order for the country to better meet the modern standards of European countries. Needless to say what the consequences were …
Psychologists and sociologists now unanimously say that the number of mistakes among workers in all industries has increased - due to the fact that people cannot concentrate. And the worst thing is that the number of accidents on the roads, including fatal ones, has increased. -Probably, the Spanish government will reconsider its opinion and return the siesta back - for two reasons.
Firstly, it is not so easy for the inhabitants of Spain to abandon age-old customs, and the law is simply bypassed - everything goes on as before, and for most people the siesta lasts the usual 3-4 hours. Secondly, some European countries, on the contrary, are thinking about introducing their own siesta. But here the politics and interests of the country interfere in the matter, which benefits from people working as much as possible. It is not known which will win - considerations about health or state revenues …
Igor SAVELIEV