04/27/2024 at 17:15
CEST
One of the most deeply rooted traditions in Spain is taking a nap, but with the frenetic pace of life we lead it has decreased, especially in urban areas. And this sacred practice of rest has been a topic of debate and study for a long time.
There are many who say that there is no time limit for taking a nap, while there are those who say that ten minutes is enough. NASA has commented on the matter and said the following.
In the 1990s, a NASA study examined the effectiveness of a planned cockpit rest period in improving alertness and performance in long-distance flight operations. The results revealed surprising findings.
This study involved 21 flight crew members and they were divided into two groups: twelve were assigned to the ‘rest group’ and nine to the ‘no rest group’. During the cruising phase, The first group was allowed to take a planned 40-minute breakwhile the other group maintained their usual activities.
“The pilots in the rest group slept 93 percent of the time, falling asleep in 5.6 minutes and sleeping for 25.8 minutes”, the researchers stated based on the data collected during the study.
Thus, these results highlight the effectiveness of a short nap, but effective in improving alertness and performance of pilots during long-distance flights. In addition, it has been shown that a short nap does not interfere with regular night sleep and may provide additional benefits without causing disruption to the sleep cycle.
