Opublikowane przez World Class Poland w Lifestyle, 04.08.2011

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The good old nap or mid-day rest is commonly associated with lazy people or dawdlers. Nevertheless, some country officially embraced it and many recently published study-cases focus on its benefits.

Common in our grandma’s young days, than left into oblivion, the nap is back in fashion, to our great delight. Case-studies are multiplying, the French government wants to institutionalize it, some companies turn it into a current practice and some start selling it. In Paris, Bulle Kenzo offers “a nap appointment”, garnered with sweet music and images, good mattresses, calm wakening and tea. What is the reason behind this phenomenon that looks like going back to the roots?

Preserved health

You must have noticed: there is a specific moment of time, in between 2 and 4 pm when we fall asleep faster. Absolutely necessary for small kids, the mid-day rest comes naturally into our biological rhythm. These rest moments are better for recovery than sleeping late. The nap allows our nervous system and sleep to come back to equilibrium. A mid-day rest of 5 to 30 minutes makes us gain 2 hours of sleep per night. It is also good for organizing our thoughts, eliminating tensions, reducing stress and resting our mind. A recent study concluded in Greece over 24 000 persons showed that a 30 minutes nap taken three times a week reduces by three the risk of heart diseases, by diminishing stress, one of the main causes of heart disease..

Increased efficiency

The ideal mid-day rest lasts between 10 to 30 minutes but those who are trained can take advantage of a few minutes only. Not long but enough to increase efficiency at work. A 5 minutes nap reduces stress, physical and psychical fatigue, improves our good humor and creativity as well as our concentration and focus capacity. Already in place in Japanese companies, at hand for everyone, the nap is better for health and cheaper than a cup of coffee. Why not enjoy it?