ideal siesta should be exactly 26 minutes, according to a study from NASA which the US National Transportation Safety Board recently used as evidence to back up its recommendation for controlled naps for air traffic controllers. The NTSB said it would improve performance by 34% and alertness by 54%.
Europa Press lists some of the benefits of a short nap as fewer cardiovascular risk factors, less tension, higher concentration and a higher degree of alertness. The news agency quotes research carried out in 2007 which was published in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine which showed the siesta to be one of the best recipes for preventing cardiac problems.
Dr Gonzalo Pin Arboleda from Valencia’s Hospital Quirón sleep unit says a short siesta helps the human body to better withstand the day. It can be beneficial for adults, but is essential for children and older people. He said that children under the age of five need to nap for their physical and neurological development.
Dr Pedro Mayor from the Ruber Hospital in Madrid meanwhile recommends a siesta as it causes our muscles to relax and assists in a more efficient digestion after eating. He said that too long a nap could however alter our sleep cycle, and it should be no longer than 20 minutes.
0 comments:
Post a Comment