Siesta
My Afternoon Nap
I wanted to take the whole day off work today, but I had some paperwork due, there was a meeting and I promised to help a coworker in the morning. I had an idea to climb another mountain but there just wasn’t enough time. However, I was able to take the afternoon off of work. I considered going for a walk or climbing a nearby mountain. I thought about filming another video at Sejong Lake. But I was so tired when I got home that I just took a siesta.
Definition
A siesta is a short nap in the afternoon usually after lunch. It comes to English through Spanish. The afternoon nap is a tradition in many warm weather countries, especially in summer. In English it can be used to talk about any afternoon nap. We use siesta to replace nap in a sentence. So, you could say having a siesta or taking a siesta.
Example: “Hey, where Danny is?” “He’ll be back in an hour. He is having a siesta.”
Spanish Siesta
Typically, a Spanish siesta lasts for 2 hours. There is a break time for siestas too with shops closed during this time. Small stores don’t often open again until 4 or 5pm. However, the larger stores tend to stay open. The town of Ador made the siesta a law. The entire town closes between 2pm and 5pm. Their policy is in opposition to the rest of the country. Only 18% of Spaniards take an occasional siesta and 60% say they never have a siesta.
Power Naps
A newer term for a siesta is a power nap. Some companies are incorporating these power naps into their day to improve efficiency but there are many other benefits to a siesta. Many experts believe that we are biphasic, meaning that we need to sleep at night and during the day. Working people tend to not get enough sleep at night, so a siesta can help. A well-rested person can retain more information, think critically, and can regulate their emotions more effectively. Power naps tend to be between 10 and 30 minutes long to avoid sleep inertia and difficulty sleeping at night.
South Korea has one of the longest work weeks in the world. The average Korean works 39 hours per week. Perhaps we should incorporate a siesta into our day. Do you sleep at work? Don’t worry, I won’t tell your boss. I don’t normally have a siesta but maybe I should consider adding it to my daily routine.
See Also: Pooped, Running out of steam, Burnt out, Let your hair down, Don't work hard, work smart
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Reference:
https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-a-siesta
https://seriouslyspain.com/what-you-should-know-before-shopping-in-spain-store-opening-times-siesta-customer-service-and-more
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20170609-its-time-to-put-the-tired-spanish-siesta-stereotype-to-bed
https://www.sleepfoundation.org/circadian-rhythm/siestas
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/power-naps#health-benefits
https://www.instarem.com/blog/are-you-working-more-than-you-should/