Are we meant to have a biphasic sleep pattern?

**hgld1234** · 06-02-2010 07:27 PM

Today, my mum was commenting late in the afternoon (again) about how tired she was, and I ended up thinking: Are we meant to have an afternoon nap? The Romans did it (i'm not saying they're right always) and apparantly most adults get tired at this time of day. So my question is: Are we meant to have a biphasic sleep pattern (a nap in the afternoon and a core sleep)?

**Charmarlw** · 06-02-2010 07:57 PM

I had a doctor tell me that it's healthy to have naps, but never heard about supposed to be having them...

**tommo** · 06-07-2010 11:05 AM

Yeah I dunno why, but it is apparently not good for you. I've only napped in the late afternoon maybe twice. The last time I remember was a few weeks ago at like 6:00 and woke at 7:30. Had an amazing lucid dream without even trying.
That's unrelated but felt like mentioning it haha.

I dunno, I think you feel a lot better after a nap. But you might be sacrificing some health. Is it worth it?

**Jhey** · 06-08-2010 03:45 AM

I take in the afternoon often for about 40-45 minutes and I feel great afterwards. I've heard it's part of our nature, but I wouldn't consider those sources viable.

**Amoeba** · 06-10-2010 08:03 AM

I don't have any info or sources as to whether or not it's healthy, but in some very hot countries (the first that come to mind are a few Muslim-dominant countries) it's typical for people to have a quick afternoon nap in the shade out of the heat of mid-day. They say humans originated from hot countries and spread around the world so this may have been a way to avoid heat exhaustion even for the ancestors of those of us who live in cold countries. I don't know for sure if it's healthy or natural, but maybe looking into countries where it is a very common occurrence might provide some clues.