Siestas: After Lunch Naps

Recently, I took a trip to Italy and during a certain time of the day all of the shops and restaurants were closed for a siesta. A siesta is a short nap taken during the early part of the afternoon after lunch. Siestas are popular in many Mediterranean and European countries, particularly places with warm weather. Some say that they are necessary because the mixture of large meals and hot climate make it almost impossible to work. There is even a siesta competition that is held in Spain that in short, judges how well you sleep.

  

 This is very interesting since in America, workdays consist of non-stop working and rarely even give an hour for lunch. Siestas are becoming more researched because of the possible benefits that come from them, but are also being shortened or taken away completely because of the spread of the non-stop working attitude that countries like the United States and China have. Why do these certain countries take siestas and are they benefitting or hurting people and their businesses? Studies have shown that taking these midday naps can help with cardiovascular health, improving moods, boosting energy levels and even that people may have a biological need for them. I want to learn more about the reasoning behind these afternoon naps, if they are beneficial to people’s health, and if they hurt these businesses in the long run.