Siesta: Difference between revisions

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Siesta is a [[Special:MyLanguage/biphasic|biphasic]] schedule, which consists of a longer [[Special:MyLanguage/Cores|core]] at night and a shorter core during the day.

Similar to [[Special:MyLanguage/E1|E1]], Siesta sleep takes advantage of the circadian dip around early afternoon. Siesta is considered to have 2 core sleeps, a long one at night and a short one in the day. In contrast to E1, the day core contains 1 full cycle, which is much more restorative than a short [[Special:MyLanguage/nap|nap]]. The longer daytime sleep also allows for a shortened nocturnal sleep. Usually, the wake gap from the end of the night [[Special:MyLanguage/core|core]]to the daytime core can be between 6-9 hours.  

However, unlike most standard scheduling where a core sleep would make use of a multiple of the 90m sleep cycle, the standard reducing Siesta (6.5h total) utilizes a 5h core, because last 30 m is likely to contain extra [[wikipedia:Rapid_eye_movement_sleep|REM]] sleep. Based on the typical human sleep structure, it is expected that [[wikipedia:Slow-wave_sleep|SWS]] would be almost, if not fully covered in the first 3 full cycles of sleep (4.5h). On [[Special:MyLanguage/monophasic|monophasic]] sleep, the REM cycles are often longer than 90 m, so the 30 m may also help with waking up after completed sleep cycles.

Siesta (especially extended) is often done by athletes who perform intense exercises. Roger Federer and Usain Bolt are two of the many athletes who are known to habitually take a long sleep in the day. The day core provides recovery after an intense workout session, granting extra sleep time to meet the increased SWS requirement. It has been shown that after an endurance training session, SWS pressure rises and a daytime core allows SWS to be gained<ref name="a" />. The occurrence of SWS in the long siesta is said to release the growth hormone (GH), which regulates glucose levels and glycogen storage, which often become depleted under intense exercise sessions.

On another note, Siesta-like sleep patterns is also known to be an adaptation of humans to diseases<ref name="b" /> (including chronic infectious diseases). Humans generally sleep more when severely sick, and often in a way resembling extended variants of Siesta, where both core sleeps are much longer than usual to allow for cognitive and physical recovery from sickness.  

 

 

 

Over the years there a few successful attempts with this variant. The main idea behind this setup is to allow a longer wake gap in the day to suit 9-to-5 jobs. A sleeper would have a core at night, go to work, and then a long sleep block to rejuvenate after work. The advantages of this schedule includes time awake in the evening and night hours. For this reason, this variant can accommodate for many lifestyles.  

<ref name="b">{{cite journal |vauthors=Barone TL |date=2000 |title=Is the siesta an adaptation to disease? : A cross-cultural examination |journal=Human Nature |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=233-258 |doi=10.1007/s12110-000-1012-4}}</ref>