World Sleep Day
The Nap, The Nap and Nothing but the Nap
5 min read
Ah, the Nap. Don’t we love it. It’s a mysterious soul remedy that beckons to us, somewhere between the hard-working day and our kids’ afternoon cricket matches. It’s that mid-afternoon shutdown, when the mind drops in slow, the speech falls lazy, and your Comfort Solutions Firenze Pillow looks more appealing than last night’s left over McFlurry® in the fridge. This is The Nap: it’s generous, it’s alluring, it’s unbearably satiating when rendered skillfully – and this World Sleep Day on March 15, 2024, everyone deserves to take one.
Made famous by the Romans way back in the day – they called it riposo (which means ‘to take rest’) - the Nap still shows itself in the modern world as an equal compatriot, if not superior, to a good night’s sleep. Short naps for kids and adults refresh the mind and spirit. Similar to a cold shower, or a run in the park. Studies tell us that The Nap can quite easily improve our mood, as well as our mental and physical performance. Churchill, Dali and Thatcher were among some of the world’s most famous nappers, and proudly so, each of whom believed that an armchair and short snooze, not longer than a few minutes, was the secret key to a day of productive output.
Many Mediterranean countries revere the nap too, instilling a 2-hour nap time or, at the very least, a regular 10 and 20-minuter which appears to be just as beneficial in helping people feel less sleepy and more alert. While many countries like Spain, Italy, Iceland, Finland, Guatemala, Germany and Japan proudly keep The Nap as part of a longstanding tradition, the world at large is accustomed to seeking out quality sleep, whether it’s a long nap, a short nap or an all-nighter.
The Nap is like its own little ode to the restorative power of Sleep – and everyone deserves to take one - which is why sleep equity is a global conversation among wellness cohorts around the world. Sleep Equity is built upon the premise of sleep equality for all: no matter your gender, race, sexual orientation, ethnicity, location or socio-economic situation, everyone has the right to obtain quality sleep for mental well-being – and The Nap is no exception. Dr Dayna Johnson of Everyday Health says, on Sleep Equity, “At a basic human rights level, we want to make healthy sleep available for all people.”
The Comfort Solutions team, at your nearest Bed King store, feel just the same. Crafting arguably the most comfortable sleep solutions and mattresses in the world since 2006, Comfort Solutions knows the benefit of a good nap on a quality mattress, with a quality pillow! With its dedicated instore lab, Comfort Solutions has the data, innovative technology and intelligent design to provide anyone and everyone with handcrafted beds and pillows fit for your unique body shape and sleep habits. With 1600 built-in pressure sensors, Comfort Solutions Lab® targets the body’s pain points and creates the optimal sleep code for improved sleep and comfort – no matter what time of the afternoon it is.
World Sleep Day is March 15th, 2024 and sleep foundations across the globe, as well as local bed and mattress stockists like Bed King, are praising sleep with this year’s theme - Sleep Equity for Global Health - bringing awareness to sleep-related issues, including medicine, education and promoting sleep health. Since the body needs sleep for restoration, immunity and overall well-being – the call for long sleeps, short sleeps, nap sleeps or deep sleeps should be heeded. According to Harvard Health, we need sleep for our neurons to communicate with one another which is why adults between 18 and 60 should aim for at least seven hours of sleep per night.
Interestingly, on average, people spend seven years of their lives trying to obtain good sleep, and at least 26 years of their lives sleeping. That’s the equivalent of 12,045 days spent in bed. That’s worth a Global Day in our books! As an ode to Sleep Equity this year – and every year - the founders and designers of Comfort Solutions, Bed King, continue to offer all its customers in South Africa the best advice and affordable sleep solutions across a number bed ranges and budgets.
Considering that World Sleep Day is sounding the call for equal quality sleep, why not do your part and make good sleep a priority this year: set your clock for riposo, no matter where in the world you are, and decide to fit some well-deserved naptime into your day/s; because quality sleep is not a privilege nor a luxury - it is a primary human need, a basic civil right, a ritual of remedy and rest - and it simply must be celebrated.
For quality beds and nap times that mean more, visit the Comfort Solutions Lab.
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