La sieste, un outil simple de prévention

From the early sixties to the decade of the 1990s, Western man has lost two hours of daily sleep. More time is devoted to recreational activities, television, Internet and transportation, disrupting biological rhythms. Napping is regulated by the biological clock, giving it its universal character. This article reviews the benefits of napping as a counter-measure responding to the chronic sleep debt, and a factor preventing heart disease. Its contribution to memory and its usefulness in the elderly are also discussed.