Return of the Siesta: My Surprisingly Successful Afternoon Napping Experiment

How asynchronous remote work can revive the most natural of human sleep patterns

Do you often feel groggy in the early afternoon? Me too. In fact, this afternoon energy dip is clear evidence that we’re both human.

It’s true. And what’s more, your human biology would love for you to honor that dip with a nice afternoon nap. But how can you when our modern lives are so deeply incompatible with these siesta dreams?

Luckily, a new solution to this vexing problem recently emerged. It goes by the name of asynchronous remote work, and, to those who embrace it, it offers something remarkable: life through a well-rested body and mind.

The Natural Human Sleep Pattern

Chapter four in Matthew Walker’s vital book on the science of sleep explores the wide range of sleep patterns observed within the animal kingdom. One of the animals investigated is a hairless ape called Homo sapiens.

Walker notes that a biphasic pattern containing an afternoon nap is the natural way for humans to sleep. It’s not a cultural thing. In fact, it’s deeply biological. Societies untouched by technology still sleep this way.