climate
Work early, rest in the afternoon? Doctor recommends siesta
A man with a sun hat on his face lies in a meadow in the shade and rests. photo
© Sebastian Kahnert/zb/dpa
Working in the morning, resting in the heat – that could make hot summers in Germany more bearable. Many vacationers from Spain know the siesta. There it is not only used for sleeping.
In the summer heat, from the point of view of the head of the Medical Association, working with help siesta. “When it’s hot, we should be guided by the way southern countries work: getting up early, working productively in the morning and taking a siesta at noon is a concept that we should adopt in the summer months,” said the chairman of the Federal Association of Physicians in the Public Health Service ( BVÖGD), Johannes Nießen, the editorial network Germany (RND).
“People aren’t as efficient as usual when it’s very hot. Poor sleep without cooling down at night also leads to concentration problems.” Complex work requirements should therefore be postponed until the early hours of the morning, advises the doctor.
The so-called siesta, the afternoon nap, is as much a part of Spain as paella and bullfighting. When the sun is particularly hot – between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. – people withdraw. Offices then take longer breaks, and “Closed” signs are hung outside in most shops. Unlike in the past, air conditioning is now available almost everywhere in Spain, but the tradition endures. During the siesta, however, very few Spaniards still take a nap like they used to. You go to the gym or the swimming pool or have longer lunches with family or colleagues. Of course, you have to work longer hours in the evenings.
“Siesta in the heat is certainly not a bad suggestion,” wrote Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach on Twitter on Tuesday. However, the SPD politician does not see a need for politics in the question. “But employers and employees should negotiate that themselves,” said the Minister of Health. “Medically safe for many professions.”
For schools, a siesta would not be necessary from the point of view of the President of the German Teachers’ Association, Stefan Düll: Most students would have finished school before it got really hot. However, ventilation systems are important in order to cool the buildings down again at night.
Physician Nießen also recommends drinking a lot more and eating light food in several smaller portions when it is hot. “You also need enough fans and lighter clothing, even if the dress code in the office doesn’t allow it.” In the home office, a cold footbath under the desk is another way to cool down.
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