A midday nap is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. It is frequently called with its Spanish name siesta.
A painting of two farmers having a siesta (The siesta by Vincent van Gogh, 1890)
La méridienne ("Siesta") A painting of two farmers having a siesta, Jean-François Millet (1866)
Le repos ("Rest") A painting of a female farmer sleeping at noon, by Camille Pissarro (1882)
The book and the film Gone with the Wind depicts midday naps in 19th century American South as reserved only to masters, while slaves were not allowed to rest. This representation is consistent with historical research.
A nap is a short period of sleep, typically taken during daytime hours as an adjunct to the usual nocturnal sleep period. Naps are most often taken as a response to drowsiness during waking hours or a
Siesta
…A midday nap is a short nap taken in the early afternoon, often after the midday meal. It is frequently called with its Spanish name siesta (pronounced ). According to some…
A man napping in a hammock, on a patio in Costa Rica
Agricultural workers napping on the flax they harvested
Naptime in a nursery, 1945