Here’s a ‘map’ you can use to get the most out of your siesta

The Boston Globe has published a simple, graphical guide to taking a nap. I guess Americans have never quite got the habit, which comes naturally to certain Europeans like the Spanish and Italians. Where I live in the desert Southwest, afternoon temperatures this past week have hovered between 106 and 111 degrees Fahrenheit (around 42 to 44 degrees Celsius). The only sensible thing to do in heat like that is take a nap. And we don’t even have to content with the high humidity that turns similar or lower temperatures into potential killers.

Besides, researchers are now telling us that even a short nap in the middle of the day — or any other time you need one — makes you mentally more alert and improves your judgment and decision making. It also improves blood pressure and lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke. I guess the main thing that still stops many people from heeding this advice is that quintessentially American bug bear: the Puritan Work Ethic.

Anyhow, in the hope that some of you at least can set aside the compulsion to be busy at all times — even when doing so makes no sense — I offer you this link to the guide.

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