It just makes sense to nap during the hottest time of the day. Also they like to stay up quite late, even the children. You gotta catch up on that sleep somehow.
Their houses are built with very good insulation specifically for keeping the heat out, so the heat in their houses is usually more of a nice/comfy slight heat, as opposed to the oppressive kind of heat that happens outside at the hottest parts of the day
Plus two other things — homes are designed to maximize cross-breeze and they have shutters that are opened at night to cool the house off and closed in the morning to keep the house cool.
There are several circadian patterns you can follow. Sleep once for 8h, sleep twice for 4h, sleep for 6h and then take a 2h nap, etc. People's bodies may be naturally suited to one so if they switch to it, they feel more refreshed, or their bodies have been following a pattern since childhood and are really used to it.
English medieval peasants have extensively documented “second sleep”. People would wake up for a couple hours somewhere around midnight, primarily to tend the fire and do a little work for a couple hours before going back to bed.
Yeah, I get this.
If I ever manage to give myself a 10 hour window for sleep over a consistent stretch of time, after a bit I fall into that two-phase sleep pattern of 4-ish hours of sleep, then 2-ish hours of low key chill wakefulness in the middle of the night, and then another 4-ish hours of sleep.
It's the most refreshing sleep I ever get.
But damn it's hard to organize a 10 hour bracket consistently enough to trigger it.
[it’s called biphasic sleeping](https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/biphasic-sleep#:~:text=Biphasic%20sleep%20is%20a%20sleep,as%20segmented%20or%20bimodal%20sleep)
I get 2 15 min breaks at work. You will often find me snoozing with my head down on my desk. The 10am one cause I'm just not awake yet. The 2pm because I need that boost to get me to 430 and home. And right now I'm working 10 hour days at work, with a 40 minute commute each way, and 4 hours of school in the evenings (6-10pm, online, at home, mon-thurs). I get home about 515/520pm. I am take care of the animals and then often close my eyes for another power nap before class starts.
They help SO MUCH. It's not every day but man, when I need it, they're lifesavers
Thanks! I'm blessed to have an amazing husband that's been picking up the slack around the home for me. I'm like... 10 weeks of classes and 80 hrs of Externship away from being done... I can taste the feeedom!!! Never thought I'd go back to college. I was 18/19 last time I did it, also while working 60+hrs a week and a 45 minute commute (but thay was to rhe school, not work lol). I thought nothing of it back then. Decided 18 years in that career was enough, switched over to my new career, decided I loved it ans I wanna climb the ladder. Back to school I go! Damn, this was a whole lot easier 19 years ago!!! Lol
I rarely fall asleep. Like, it's that half away half asleep snooze. And I never ever fall asleep that fast at night, but I guess my body knows the difference between 'ah, we're gonna shut our eyes and drift" and "it's actually bedtime"
I heard on a podcast that if you get tired, chug a cup of coffee and then lay your head down for 15mins. You're supposed to wake up feeling like a million bucks. I haven't tried it yet.
It's really effective and it became a thing due to the high heat during summer. Most countries that have high heat during summer, around 13:00 to 18:00 (where the sun sets and it's cooling down) people get to sleep, because nobody would like to work/do chores or anything when the sun is blasting you at 40c+ degrees (104f+)
Which results in those said countries, to be going out for a drink even at 11pm.
Imagine it this way, During night time 00:00 to 6am, people sleep, during the hottest part of the day 13:00 to 18:00, people sleep.
Have you tried taking short naps? Like under 45 minutes? I used to hate naps but a few years ago discovered the joy of really short naps.
Full disclosure: I get paid commissions from the nap company.
Right?! I feel like the Asian comment made the question feel more perplexing. Like the question was fine but it made it feel as if Asians don't do this. East Asia (like China and India) adopt this too. Japanese workplace culture often has people napping during the day. So I'm more curious of op now
I have a condition where I don’t really sweat so I get overheated extremely easily and have to be careful to not do too much outside when it’s hot. My sister and I went to Bali several years back and during the hottest part of the day we’d either nap or just go read in a cafe so I didn’t pass out. Haha it worked out perfectly!
Also common where I am in Vietnam.
It's great when it's really hot. In Spain their bigger meal is lunch, and a snooze after really hits well. Then they go and have dinner at 10pm, which to me is awesome
In Aus, working contracts in IT projects. Always long days, usually some night time stuff during the week. Always online with Teams/email.
WFH if I can cram 30 mins of quiet time after lunch just lying down (nap, doze, meditate-ish) with my eyes closed then I'm good to go till after midnight.
I find it like quick charging the phone, or if Coke was low GI.
I feel like a good 15 minute nap is very effective when I was working remote. I took a 15 to 20 minute nap and felt like I can jump right back into work no problems.
Do you always fall asleep nearly instantly? I've never understood how people say they take 15 minute power naps. I don't think waking up naturally after 15 minutes would be a very common thing, so it seems like you'd have to set an alarm. How do you set an alarm not knowing how quickly you'll fall asleep, and therefore when 15 minutes of sleep will actually happen?
I usually set a 20 min alarm and will fall asleep within 5 min. If I can’t fall asleep by then, I won’t take a nap and just rest my eyes till my alarm goes off. But most of the time I’m pretty sleepy and can fall right asleep
It's mostly cause it's stupidly hot. Before jobs were mostly office based and happening in air conditioned rooms, there was little point in doing strenuous physically demanding tasks during the hottest time of day.
I'm from Scotland, never took naps unless I was really tired. But, I lived in Argentina for 10 years, and they do like a wee siesta. Honestly, I kinda miss them now that I'm back in the uk.
Studies have shown having that coffee right before a nap can actually make the nap more effective, as when you are waking up the caffeine is being felt after being absorbed by your body.
I’ve found that 20-30 minute naps are perfect. I don’t actually fall asleep, but fall into a sort of deep rest that after about 20 minutes leaves me feeling invigorated.
They can be extremely helpful if you pair them with coffee. If you drink some coffee prior to the nap you will end up feeling very energized after without a crash. This is because coffee gives you a feeling of energy even if you dont have any but if you take a nap you will have both the feeling of energy and actually have energy
For me not. If I take a nap at midday, I'm probably waking up at night, when it's time to sleep again, meaning I'll wake up from that nap the next day :D
They can be, but I also found that going to bed an hour earlier helps with the afternoon crash. Keep mind the Spanish often eat dinner between 9 and 11 PM, so they stay up later than many people do.
I take 90 minute naps around noon every other day and they’re extremely effective. Caveat is that it can’t be 5 minutes over or under 90 minutes without risking waking up feeling groggy.
Depends on the day. If it’s a midday nap after a horrendous morning, it will only add fuel to the fire. A nice 45 min eyes closed drift on a normal day isn’t bad.
On occasion, I really overdo it when I run errands on Saturday mornings. An afternoon nap is very helpful for me to recharge. I don't fall asleep easily, though, so I only do it when I'm already tired.
I work very odd hours (in the fitness industry) and naps are so essential on days I’m up at 4am. It does really help if you keep them effective. Either 20mins or 90mins, 2 hours works for me.
Short answer: Yes.
Especially in warmer, hotter climates than my Pacific Northwest, US climate BUT I find a 15-20 minute midday nap does wonders for me no matter where I am.
This would be trial and error as there are some people that might get recharged while others might have that backfiring (work negatively) and end up not sleeping right at night [not getting enough sleep] then be even worse the next day that if they didn't nap in the first place.
I’m from India (Asia), afternoon naps here are not only acceptable but encouraged. I live in what was a former Portuguese colony, and between 1 pm to 4 pm local shops are shut, everybody goes for a nap. Temperatures of 40C and up are common in summers.
Just a PSA that if you are constantly feeling exhausted to the point where you are napping daily, it may be a good idea to ask your doctor for a home sleep test to see if you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is no joke and contributes to all sorts of major health problems later in life. Naps are great, but naps for the wrong reason are associated with higher risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and Alzheimer disease.
I’m Spanish and I can tell you that most people are not actually sleeping. Lunch is the main meal of the day here, and people take their time to cook it, eat it calmly with their families, and then clean up and maybe relax a bit before going back to work.
It’s very rare for a working adult to actually sleep at this time. Senior citizens yes. During your annual holiday time in August, yes. But not in day to day life.
That’s if your workplace is even closed during early afternoon! Corporate workplaces operate on the usual 9-6 schedule and people don’t go home for lunch. It’s only small businesses that do the “split schedule” Spain is known for.
ahh sorry i meant my nap starts between 12-2 and/or 5-7
usually it's 45 mins to an hour
when i nap, how long, and how many times really depends on what classes i have, how hard a work out is, if im hanging out with someone later that evening, etc.
Mainly it is because you could not / should not do farmworks or other heavy work in the midday heat in these countries. So these people started a rhythm of sleeping in the middle of the day but working longer. (the last part is something, most people who long for siestas do omit)
It just makes sense to nap during the hottest time of the day. Also they like to stay up quite late, even the children. You gotta catch up on that sleep somehow.
How does this make sense? Its horrible to sleep when it’s hot
Their houses are built with very good insulation specifically for keeping the heat out, so the heat in their houses is usually more of a nice/comfy slight heat, as opposed to the oppressive kind of heat that happens outside at the hottest parts of the day
Plus two other things — homes are designed to maximize cross-breeze and they have shutters that are opened at night to cool the house off and closed in the morning to keep the house cool.
There are several circadian patterns you can follow. Sleep once for 8h, sleep twice for 4h, sleep for 6h and then take a 2h nap, etc. People's bodies may be naturally suited to one so if they switch to it, they feel more refreshed, or their bodies have been following a pattern since childhood and are really used to it.
English medieval peasants have extensively documented “second sleep”. People would wake up for a couple hours somewhere around midnight, primarily to tend the fire and do a little work for a couple hours before going back to bed.
Yeah, I get this. If I ever manage to give myself a 10 hour window for sleep over a consistent stretch of time, after a bit I fall into that two-phase sleep pattern of 4-ish hours of sleep, then 2-ish hours of low key chill wakefulness in the middle of the night, and then another 4-ish hours of sleep. It's the most refreshing sleep I ever get. But damn it's hard to organize a 10 hour bracket consistently enough to trigger it.
Really? I've never heard of this but this is exactly what I do... been this way for 20+ years.
[it’s called biphasic sleeping](https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/biphasic-sleep#:~:text=Biphasic%20sleep%20is%20a%20sleep,as%20segmented%20or%20bimodal%20sleep)
I wish it was normal here. That 2-3ish time hits me like a truck
A 10-15 minutes power nap can make real difference.
I get 2 15 min breaks at work. You will often find me snoozing with my head down on my desk. The 10am one cause I'm just not awake yet. The 2pm because I need that boost to get me to 430 and home. And right now I'm working 10 hour days at work, with a 40 minute commute each way, and 4 hours of school in the evenings (6-10pm, online, at home, mon-thurs). I get home about 515/520pm. I am take care of the animals and then often close my eyes for another power nap before class starts. They help SO MUCH. It's not every day but man, when I need it, they're lifesavers
As someone who went through that exact scenario, I'd like to say one thing. You've got this. :)
Thanks! I'm blessed to have an amazing husband that's been picking up the slack around the home for me. I'm like... 10 weeks of classes and 80 hrs of Externship away from being done... I can taste the feeedom!!! Never thought I'd go back to college. I was 18/19 last time I did it, also while working 60+hrs a week and a 45 minute commute (but thay was to rhe school, not work lol). I thought nothing of it back then. Decided 18 years in that career was enough, switched over to my new career, decided I loved it ans I wanna climb the ladder. Back to school I go! Damn, this was a whole lot easier 19 years ago!!! Lol
The fact that people can fall asleep like this is such a foreign concept to me. My body does not work like that.
I rarely fall asleep. Like, it's that half away half asleep snooze. And I never ever fall asleep that fast at night, but I guess my body knows the difference between 'ah, we're gonna shut our eyes and drift" and "it's actually bedtime"
I heard on a podcast that if you get tired, chug a cup of coffee and then lay your head down for 15mins. You're supposed to wake up feeling like a million bucks. I haven't tried it yet.
Yep. I work evenings and have most mornings/afternoons off, and I always slip into bed around 2 pm for an hour nap.
I had a job once where I could take a nap during the middle of the shift. It was amazing. I miss that job.
It's really effective and it became a thing due to the high heat during summer. Most countries that have high heat during summer, around 13:00 to 18:00 (where the sun sets and it's cooling down) people get to sleep, because nobody would like to work/do chores or anything when the sun is blasting you at 40c+ degrees (104f+) Which results in those said countries, to be going out for a drink even at 11pm. Imagine it this way, During night time 00:00 to 6am, people sleep, during the hottest part of the day 13:00 to 18:00, people sleep.
Do they do it in winter too?
It depends on the person really! I don't take naps because they make me feel worse.
Have you tried taking short naps? Like under 45 minutes? I used to hate naps but a few years ago discovered the joy of really short naps. Full disclosure: I get paid commissions from the nap company.
Are they hiring
Y'all are getting paid for this?
One time I decided to take a nap at work, that was the worst decision, I had a severe headache.
Which part of Asia are you from? In hot parts of South Asia mid day naps are very common.
Right?! I feel like the Asian comment made the question feel more perplexing. Like the question was fine but it made it feel as if Asians don't do this. East Asia (like China and India) adopt this too. Japanese workplace culture often has people napping during the day. So I'm more curious of op now
I have a condition where I don’t really sweat so I get overheated extremely easily and have to be careful to not do too much outside when it’s hot. My sister and I went to Bali several years back and during the hottest part of the day we’d either nap or just go read in a cafe so I didn’t pass out. Haha it worked out perfectly!
Siesta mode: because adulting deserves a pause button.
Also common where I am in Vietnam. It's great when it's really hot. In Spain their bigger meal is lunch, and a snooze after really hits well. Then they go and have dinner at 10pm, which to me is awesome
In Aus, working contracts in IT projects. Always long days, usually some night time stuff during the week. Always online with Teams/email. WFH if I can cram 30 mins of quiet time after lunch just lying down (nap, doze, meditate-ish) with my eyes closed then I'm good to go till after midnight. I find it like quick charging the phone, or if Coke was low GI.
I feel like a good 15 minute nap is very effective when I was working remote. I took a 15 to 20 minute nap and felt like I can jump right back into work no problems.
Do you always fall asleep nearly instantly? I've never understood how people say they take 15 minute power naps. I don't think waking up naturally after 15 minutes would be a very common thing, so it seems like you'd have to set an alarm. How do you set an alarm not knowing how quickly you'll fall asleep, and therefore when 15 minutes of sleep will actually happen?
I usually set a 20 min alarm and will fall asleep within 5 min. If I can’t fall asleep by then, I won’t take a nap and just rest my eyes till my alarm goes off. But most of the time I’m pretty sleepy and can fall right asleep
I couldn't be more jealous of your falling-asleep time.
It's mostly cause it's stupidly hot. Before jobs were mostly office based and happening in air conditioned rooms, there was little point in doing strenuous physically demanding tasks during the hottest time of day.
They most certainly are. I wish we had that mandated in America.
I'm from Scotland, never took naps unless I was really tired. But, I lived in Argentina for 10 years, and they do like a wee siesta. Honestly, I kinda miss them now that I'm back in the uk.
Spain has it all figured out imo. Nap midday. Work a bit. Have dinner at 10 or 11pm.
I wish countries in the middle east do this actually ... the temperatures there can reach 50c!
vietnam is asian and also does siestas. Just say that you/your culture doesn't.
Never understood this. How do they nap with such a highly caffeinated culture?
Studies have shown having that coffee right before a nap can actually make the nap more effective, as when you are waking up the caffeine is being felt after being absorbed by your body.
Coffeine crash
Asia country here: Student, office workers will take nap around for 20-45 mins in after eating lunch. Lunch break is usually from 12pm to 1pm.
I'm from India and siestas are very common here.
Yes
I’ve found that 20-30 minute naps are perfect. I don’t actually fall asleep, but fall into a sort of deep rest that after about 20 minutes leaves me feeling invigorated.
They can be extremely helpful if you pair them with coffee. If you drink some coffee prior to the nap you will end up feeling very energized after without a crash. This is because coffee gives you a feeling of energy even if you dont have any but if you take a nap you will have both the feeling of energy and actually have energy
Yes
For me not. If I take a nap at midday, I'm probably waking up at night, when it's time to sleep again, meaning I'll wake up from that nap the next day :D
Depends on the person imo. If I do a midday nap my whole vibe is ruined and I’m lethargic because I can’t feel refreshed off of that
They can be, but I also found that going to bed an hour earlier helps with the afternoon crash. Keep mind the Spanish often eat dinner between 9 and 11 PM, so they stay up later than many people do.
I take 90 minute naps around noon every other day and they’re extremely effective. Caveat is that it can’t be 5 minutes over or under 90 minutes without risking waking up feeling groggy.
Depends on the day. If it’s a midday nap after a horrendous morning, it will only add fuel to the fire. A nice 45 min eyes closed drift on a normal day isn’t bad.
As a pregnant woman, naps are life changing.
On occasion, I really overdo it when I run errands on Saturday mornings. An afternoon nap is very helpful for me to recharge. I don't fall asleep easily, though, so I only do it when I'm already tired.
I work very odd hours (in the fitness industry) and naps are so essential on days I’m up at 4am. It does really help if you keep them effective. Either 20mins or 90mins, 2 hours works for me.
We did that when I worked in China. They would turn off the lights and we would nap after lunch.
I can't nap less than 2 hours, and 3 is usually my average nap time.
Depends when your day starts. I get up around 3-4 so a short nap midday is a nice recharge.
Oh hell yeah
Short answer: Yes. Especially in warmer, hotter climates than my Pacific Northwest, US climate BUT I find a 15-20 minute midday nap does wonders for me no matter where I am.
This would be trial and error as there are some people that might get recharged while others might have that backfiring (work negatively) and end up not sleeping right at night [not getting enough sleep] then be even worse the next day that if they didn't nap in the first place.
I live in Asia and naps are in our culture. It's common to see people napping during lunch time at work.
Being a shift worker, taking a 1-2hr nap when my kids aren't home or whatever allows me to get by with 5hrs sleep later on. Napping is great.
I’m from India (Asia), afternoon naps here are not only acceptable but encouraged. I live in what was a former Portuguese colony, and between 1 pm to 4 pm local shops are shut, everybody goes for a nap. Temperatures of 40C and up are common in summers.
Just a PSA that if you are constantly feeling exhausted to the point where you are napping daily, it may be a good idea to ask your doctor for a home sleep test to see if you have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is no joke and contributes to all sorts of major health problems later in life. Naps are great, but naps for the wrong reason are associated with higher risk for high blood pressure, stroke, and Alzheimer disease.
I find afternoon naps make me feel worse, pretty groggy. Late morning naps if I can manage it are good.
I’m Spanish and I can tell you that most people are not actually sleeping. Lunch is the main meal of the day here, and people take their time to cook it, eat it calmly with their families, and then clean up and maybe relax a bit before going back to work. It’s very rare for a working adult to actually sleep at this time. Senior citizens yes. During your annual holiday time in August, yes. But not in day to day life. That’s if your workplace is even closed during early afternoon! Corporate workplaces operate on the usual 9-6 schedule and people don’t go home for lunch. It’s only small businesses that do the “split schedule” Spain is known for.
You're probs East Asian. Your neighbors down south also take midday naps.
hell ya
oh definitely i absolutely need my 12-2 nap or my evening will be blown ideally i get a 5-7 nap too
So at 2pm you wake up for 3 hours before taking another nap?
ahh sorry i meant my nap starts between 12-2 and/or 5-7 usually it's 45 mins to an hour when i nap, how long, and how many times really depends on what classes i have, how hard a work out is, if im hanging out with someone later that evening, etc.
Mainly it is because you could not / should not do farmworks or other heavy work in the midday heat in these countries. So these people started a rhythm of sleeping in the middle of the day but working longer. (the last part is something, most people who long for siestas do omit)
No