Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Apr 24/00) - Everybody knows the wonders a 20-minute nap can work.

With 40 winks tucked securely under our belts, we can rise refreshed, motivated and ready to give 110 per cent.

That said, we'd like to propose a little something.

Call it what you will -- the Northern siesta, a power slumber or, our favourite, the nunanap -- we'd like the Government of Nunavut to consider legislating a sleep break in the middle of the day.

Think about it.

The low point of the day, which rolls in around 3 p.m., would suddenly be met with enthusiasm instead of dread.

Workers could keep pillows tucked under their desks or conveniently stashed somewhere in the workplace, and at 3 p.m. sharp, shut their eyes for 1,200 seconds.

Jeremy Hamburg thinks it's not such a bad idea.

An Iqaluit firefighter who works shiftwork, Hamburg often finds himself catching some sleep in the wee hours of the afternoon.

"I work shiftwork so I do that to compensate," said Hamburg.

"If you go to Latin American countries where the people have siestas in the afternoon, things are open later in the day," he said.

And really, even though we're at opposite ends of the spectrum, we have a few similarities with our neighbours to the south that make the idea of a daily nap a sound one.

Just as the sun rises high and hot in the middle of the afternoon closer to the Equator, we Nunavummiut have to deal with the dark and the cold. So, why not sleep a portion of that away?

"I'm fuzzy for five minutes, but then I wake up and I feel refreshed," said Hamburg.

However, when asked if the nunanap should actually be legislated, he was a less willing to commit.

"It's difficult enough to get stuff done during the business day," he said.

Elise Chandler also supports the idea of an afternoon snooze.

"I'd go to work at 7:30 in the morning if I could take an afternoon nap," said Chandler.

A matter to be taken up with our leaders then, Ms. Chandler?

"The only problem I have is I get a headache when I wake up from a nap so it's probably not that useful," she said.