Have you ever reached the early afternoon while you’re fasting? Your tiredness has really kicked in and your productivity starts to dwindle. If so, you’ve landed on the right page to help you understand how to hack into a secret weapon for a boost of energy, called the Qailulah otherwise known as a Siesta or a Midday Power Nap!
Modern sleep scientists believe that sleep deprivation has deleterious effects on mental concentration, memory, mood, and quality of life. In addition, recent data indicate that sleep deprivation impairs endocrine and metabolic functions.
Recent studies conducted in University Burkley, Harvard and the University of Athens state that a midday nap boosts brain power, benefits mental health and decreases the risk of heart disease and helps in increasing intelligence.
A Qailulah, otherwise known as a Siesta or Midday Power Nap is a 20-30 minute nap you between midday and the afternoon or between the Duhr (midday) and Asr (afternoon) prayer. Simply, find a quiet place in your office or your car or at the mosque to simply close your eyes for 20-30 minutes.
Recent studies are finding that a midday nap boosts brain power, improves mental health and decreases the risk of heart disease.
Previous research has shown that short daytime naps improve vigilance and cognitive functions, and are beneficial for memory consolidation. In particular, a nap as short as 10 min can improve alertness and performance for 2.5-4 hours. [1]
A recent study assessed the health effects of napping in 23,681 healthy Greek adults for an average of about six years. After controlling for potential confounders, the researchers concluded that those who napped at least three times weekly for about half an hour had a 37% lower coronary mortality than those who did not nap. [2]
Generally, a third of our life is spent sleeping. Just recently, Neuroscientists have started to delve into it, but it has always been an important topic in the Islamic literature.
Islam has a great interest in sleep, and sleep is considered as one of the signs of the greatness of Allāh. Sleep is mentioned frequently in the Quran. For example, a well-known verse says, “And among his signs is your sleep by night and by day and your seeking of His bounty, verily in that are Signs for those who hearken” [verse 30.23].
There are narrations that describe the Qailulah was practiced by Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Narrated by Anas: “We used to offer the Friday prayer early and then have the afternoon nap.” [3]
Recently Nap lounges have been set up in the corporate hub of China and Hong Kong for a midday sleep for their employees to boost productivity!
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Now that you know the benefits of the Qailulah, set your intention of doing it because Prophet Muhammad (SAW), the noblest of men did it and to re-energise your body so you are more productive in this blessed month of Ramadan. Not to just simply take a break! So go ahead, and reap the benefits of the Qailulah!
Ficca G, Axelsson J, Mollicone DJ, Muto V, Vitiello MV. Naps, cognition and performance. Sleep Med Rev. 2010;14:249–58. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19962331
Naska A, Oikonomou E, Trichopoulou A, Psaltopoulou T, Trichopoulos D. Siesta in healthy adults and coronary mortality in the general population. Arch Intern Med. 2007;167:296–301.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17296887
3. Sahih Al-Bukhari. The Book of Friday Prayer, volume 11, hadith 940.