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🇦🇷 Argentina /Health & Science

Doctor Says Siestas Should Last 30 Minutes to Limit Health Risks

From La Nación · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Argentine cardiologist Jorge Tartaglione says the afternoon sleepiness that appears between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. reflects biology rather than laziness.
  • He recommends limiting naps to 30 minutes and taking them as close to midday as possible.
  • Tartaglione says longer naps carry higher risks of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and stroke, while shorter naps may support mood, heart health and lower dementia risk.

The afternoon slump between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. is not a sign of laziness, cardiologist Jorge Tartaglione says. “The 4 p.m. collapse is not laziness, it is genetics, and we struggle against that genetics,” he said.

The 4 p.m. collapse is not laziness, it is genetics, and we struggle against that genetics.

· Jorge TartaglioneHe explained the afternoon drop in alertness as a biological pattern rather than laziness.

Tartaglione said modern life leaves many people unable to respond to that biological rhythm with adequate sleep. “The reality is that today we clearly cannot take a siesta, and we sleep badly at night. Six out of 10 Argentines sleep badly,” he added.

His recommendation is precise: a nap should last 30 minutes and take place as close to midday as possible. “If the nap is longer than 30 minutes, you have a greater risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and stroke; therefore, the nap should last 30 minutes,” he said.

The reality is that today we clearly cannot take a siesta, and we sleep badly at night. Six out of 10 Argentines sleep badly.

· Jorge TartaglioneHe described modern sleep habits and their effect on Argentines.

He also associated shorter naps with lower obesity and dementia risks, better mood and protection for the heart. Tartaglione linked the afternoon need for rest to older human sleep patterns, saying people once slept in two phases rather than completing one uninterrupted four-hour period. They would wake, spend time resting, talking, writing, creating, painting or having sex, and then sleep again.

If the nap is longer than 30 minutes, you have a greater risk of obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes and stroke; therefore, the nap should last 30 minutes.

· Jorge TartaglioneHe gave his central recommendation on nap duration.

The article says modern science has established limits for reproducing the benefits of that ancestral rest without creating health risks in contemporary life. Tartaglione presented the guidance on LN+ and was identified as explaining the biological basis of the midday decline in alertness.

If it is short, you have less risk of obesity, less risk of dementia and a better mood; it protects your heart.

· Jorge TartaglioneHe described the potential benefits of a short nap.
About this summary

Originally published by La Nación in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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