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The siesta has long been a defining feature of Spanish daily life. A brief midday sleep can seem an entirely (1) .......... proposition to those unaccustomed to it — an unattainable indulgence. In recent years, however, the term 'power nap' has entered the international Anglo-Saxon word (2) .......... to describe, in essence, the very same thing.
The siesta, with its associations of languorous afternoons and unhurried evenings, appears to belong to the relaxed Hispanic world. Power naps, as their brisk name might (3) .......... , are the domain of Silicon Valley executives, driven students, and high achievers. But what exactly (4) .......... a siesta or power nap? There is broad consensus that the optimum duration falls between ten and twenty-five minutes; exceed that threshold and one risks entering (5) .......... sleep, from which rapid awakening becomes considerably more arduous. A power nap requires neither a bed nor a horizontal posture — one might take one amid the bustle of a commute or at one's desk — and it can be taken at any hour. Sample one and you will be astonished by how effectively it (6) .......... you up.
The siesta, by contrast, typically follows a (7) .......... midday meal and is best enjoyed in a cool, darkened room, ideally in a bed or on a sofa. However one chooses to catch a few (8) .......... , the evidence is consistent: practitioners report markedly reduced fatigue and sharper mental focus.