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A siesta (from Spanish, pronounced and meaning "nap") is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the Lunch. Such a period of sleep is a common tradition in some countries, particularly those in warm-weather zones. The "siesta" can refer to the nap itself, or more generally to a period of the day, generally between 2 and 5p.m. This period is used for sleep, as well as leisure, midday meals, sex, or other activities.
Siestas are historically common throughout the Mediterranean and Southern Europe, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia and mainland China. The siesta is an old tradition in Spain and, through Spanish influence, in most of Latin America and the Philippines. The Spanish language word siesta is originally derived from the Latin phrase hora sexta ('sixth hour', counting from dawn, hence "midday rest").
Factors explaining the geographical distribution of the modern siesta are warm temperatures and heavy intake of food at midday meals. Combined, these two factors contribute to the feeling of post-lunch drowsiness. In many countries that practice the siesta, the summer heat can be unbearable in the early afternoon, making a midday break at home welcome.
Thus, in many people, there is a dip when the drive for sleep has been building for hours and the drive for wakefulness has not yet started. This is, again quoting Czeisler, "a great time for a nap". The drive for wakefulness intensifies through the evening, making it difficult to get to sleep 2–3 hours before one's usual bedtime when the wake maintenance zone ends.
In the United States, the United Kingdom, and a growing number of other countries, a short sleep has been referred to as a "power nap", a term coined by Cornell University social psychologist James MaasMaas, James B. (1998) Miracle Sleep Cure: London: Thorsons and recognized by other research scientists such as Sara Mednick as well as in the popular press. Siesta is also practiced in some still colder regions, such as Patagonia. The power nap is called riposo in Northern Italy and pennichella or pisolino in Southern Italy.
It used to be the custom in Russia, with Adam Olearius stating such was "the custom of the Countrey, where sleep is as necessary after Lunch as in the Night". The Voyages and Travells of the Ambassadors Sent by Frederick Duke of Holstein, to the Great Duke of Muscovy, and the King of Persia: Begun in the Year M.DC.XXXIII, and Finish'd in M.DC.XXXIX : Containing a Compleat History of Muscovy, Tartary, Persia, and Other Adjacent Countries : with Several Publick Transactions Reaching Near the Present Times : in VII Books, page 5 of Book 1 One source of hostility toward False Dmitriy I was that he did not "...indulge in the siesta."
In Southern Italy, the siesta is called controra (from contro ("counter") + ora "hour") that is considered a magical time of the day, in which the world comes back into the possession of ghosts and spirits. In Dalmatia (coastal Croatia), the traditional afternoon nap is known as pižolot (from Venetian pixolotto).Anić, Vladimir & Goldstein, Ivo (1999). Rječnik Stranih Riječi, p998. Zagreb: Novi Liber.
In Egypt, as with other Middle East countries, government workers typically work for six hours a day, six days a week. Due to this schedule, workers do not eat lunch at work, but instead leave work around 2 pm and eat their main meal, which is the heaviest, at lunchtime. Following the heavy lunch, they take a nap (in Arabic, taaseela or qailulah), and have tea upon waking up. For dinner, they usually have a smaller meal.
This midday rest is related to the Islamic practice of Qailulah. The Qailulah is a brief nap around the middle of the day, between the daily Dhuhr and Asr Salah. This practice is considered to be Mustahabb (encouraged, though not required), and is widely considered to have been recommended by the Muhammad.
Einhard's Life of Charlemagne describes the emperor's summertime siestas: "In summer, after his midday meal, he would eat some fruit and take another drink; then he would remove his shoes and undress completely, just as he did at night, and rest for two or three hours."Einhard, Life of Charlemagne, §24.
In China, taking a nap after lunch, known as 午睡 (noon sleep), is a common practice among people. Surveys indicate that about two-thirds of the Chinese population habitually takes afternoon naps, with the average duration being approximately 30 minutes.
The habit is more likely among the elderly or during summer holidays, in order to avoid the high temperatures of the day and extend social life until the cooler late evenings and nights.
English-language media often conflates the siesta with the two to three hour lunch break that is characteristic of Spanish working hours, La prensa internacional ironiza: Rajoy quiere quitar la siesta|España|El País even though the working population is less likely to have time for a siesta and the two events are not necessarily connected. In fact, the average Spaniard works longer hours than almost all their European counterparts (typically 11-hour days, from 9 am to 8 pm).
As for the origins of the practice in Spain, the scorching summer heat predominant mostly in the South is thought to have motivated those doing agrarian work to take a break to avoid the hottest part of the day and be able to work longer hours when it is cooler. In cities, the economic situation in Spain during the post-Spanish Civil War years was dismal. At that time, a long midday break—with or without a siesta—was necessary for those commuting between the part-time jobs which were common in the sputtering economy. This situation was soon followed by the advent of a modern economy and urbanization.
Epidemiology studies on the relations between cardiovascular health and siesta have led to conflicting conclusions, possibly because of poor control of confounding variables, such as physical activity. It is possible that people who take a siesta have different physical activity habits, for example, waking earlier and scheduling more activity during the morning. Such differences in physical activity may lead to different 24-hour profiles in cardiovascular function. Even if such effects of physical activity can be discounted in explaining the relationship between siesta and cardiovascular health, it is still not known whether the daytime nap itself, a supine posture, or the expectancy of a nap is the most important factor.
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