Day sleep

In art, too, daytime sleep was and is a theme, as in this work by Vincent van Gogh (“La Méridienne” or “La sieste”, based on Millet, January 1890)

Day sleep (also: day sleep episode ) refers to a short sleep outside of the main night sleep phase . It is best known in the form of the afternoon nap . In order to regenerate the cerebrum and avoid drowsiness, the short sleep should end before entering deep sleep (SWS - Slow Wave Sleep). According to sleep researchers , a short daytime sleep increases the ability to concentrate , perform and react . There are different colloquial expressions like nap , nap , doze or nap . The systematic adherence to several sleep phases is called polyphasic sleep .

Napping in public is known as inemuri in Japan . In various cultures, short regenerative breaks such as the Spanish and Latin American siesta are cultivated.

In Japan, it has long been the practice to take short naps on the subway, park bench, at work, or even at conferences. As Kraftnickerchen , power sleep , catnap , nicker , nap power or Super sleep or power napping referred, this habit has now found its way into many a German company. In order to be able to switch off from daily stress , Far Eastern and US American companies offer their own relaxation rooms. Employees should recharge their batteries through the short sleep phase. In Germany, too, some companies provide their employees with appropriate premises. These include the automobile manufacturer Opel and the airline Lufthansa and BASF SE . In 2000, the municipality of Vechta introduced “dozing” even before private companies began.

However, you should avoid sleeping longer than 20 to 30 minutes, because after about this time you fall into deeper sleep phases , which increases performance for a short time, but then quickly drops it again.

A few minutes of sleep at lunchtime not only increase performance, but also reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack . According to a Greek study with 23,500 subjects, an afternoon nap lowers the risk of heart attack by 37 percent.

See also

• Daytime sleepiness
• Women rest room
• Polyphasic sleep

Web links

Wiktionary: afternoon nap  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations

Wiktionary: nap  - explanations of meanings, origins of words, synonyms, translations

• Bayerischer Rundfunk - The new cycle of machines , December 28, 2011
• Focus - afternoon nap strengthens memory 2008
• Focus Career - Power Napping 2007
• Österreichischer Rundfunk - A nap in the afternoon increases performance and helps against burnout
• 3sat - Napping Helps You Learn 2003
• Innovations Report Power Napping prevents burnout 2002
• Justin Westhoff: Radiolexikon Gesundheit: Mittagsschlaf , Deutschlandfunk - “Consultation hour” from April 9, 2013

Individual evidence

1. ↑ S. Mednick et al .: The restorative effect of naps on perceptual deterioration (PDF file; 196 kB), Nature Neuroscience 5, 677–681 (2002)
2. ↑ Mark-Werner Dreisörner: In the Palatinate, dozing in the workplace is not taboo . In: Die Rheinpfalz, October 7, 2006
3. ↑ Androniki Naska, PhD; Eleni Oikonomou, BS; Antonia Trichopoulou, MD; et al: Siesta in Healthy Adults and Coronary Mortality in the General Population , JAMA Internal Medicine , (02/12/2007)