German Unions Call for Healthy Lunchtime Nap

German unions call for official siestas as part of the working day for better health and performance reasons.

The DGB confederation of trade unions has argued that a short, lunchtime power nap makes sense for health and performance reasons.

Sleep - Overview and Definition
Sleep is a behavioral state of restricted physical activity. It is controlled by our internal biological clock.

"Even though the siesta is something that isn't a given anymore in the southern European countries, it is still a good idea for health reasons," the Guardian quoted Annelie Buntenbach, a DGB executive board member, as telling Tageszeitung in an interview.

"A short afternoon nap reduces the risk of, for example, a heart attack, and provides an energy boost," she added.

Even studies have supported this. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the University of Athens Medical School in Greece have found that Greek workers who took regular siestas had 37 pc lower mortality rates from coronary illnesses than their napless counterparts.

Quiz on Heart Attack
The risk factors that work behind the scene before a heart attack are familiar to many. But do you realize the extent to which your lifestyle choices are putting your life at risk? Can you identify a heart attack when it occurs? Take our quiz and find out.

The idea has caught on in Germany, where big German companies such as BASF, Opel, Hornsbach and Lufthansa provide special rooms for their workers, and employers say they benefit from the increased productivity of well-rested employees.

Source-ANI

Sleeping Disorders
How many times have you stayed awake in the dead of the night counting sheep? If it is fairly often then you could be suffering from a sleep disorder!

Daytime Nap Keeps Your Heart Healthy: Study
Grabbing an hour's sleep during the day could have cardiovascular benefits, according to a new study.