An expert guide on the art and science of napping.
A daytime nap fulfills all the same functions as a night’s sleep — it’s hormonal, purifying, curative, consolidating, and reinvigorating. It also helps us to combat sleepiness, pain, depression, weak immunity, stress, hypertension, excess weight, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.
But to take advantage of all this we need to be aware of the subtleties of the siesta. There are different types of naps, correct body positions, even times of the day that are more conducive to sleeping. There’s also an ideal amount of time to nap — and, perhaps most importantly, a way to wake up without feeling sleepy.
Saved by the Siesta explains how siestas work and how you can overcome the destructive effects of a bad night’s sleep. It also delves into the stages of sleep and how they affect cognitive performance, memory, and even creativity.
A lucid and accessible synthesis of the science of sleep, as well as a practical guide to the art of the nap.
‘A fascinating reminder that we all have free medicine at our fingertips.’
Chloe Gray, Stylist
‘Brice Faraut, a sleep specialist and neuroscientist, pleads for the nap: sleeping, he says, is a panacea, a miracle of nature that we too often neglect.’
Le Figaro
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‘According to the National Institute for Sleep and Vigilance, 31 per cent of French people sleep on average just over five-and-a-half hours a night during the week. The same is true everywhere: in Sweden, the United States, Mexico ... A nap therefore appears to be the lifeline. According to the author, it can heal severe fatigue, and fight drowsiness, pain, depression, immune weakness, stress, hypertension, obesity, or cardiovascular disease. And he provides proof of this by citing the extensive research carried out on the subject.’
La Recherche
‘[A]n illuminating reflection on a health topic too often neglected: sleep debt … Always educational, supported by numerous studies and packed with practical advice, this book will help you heed your internal clock. The only thing left to do is put it into practice.’
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