THE Spanish siesta may be a joke elsewhere but locals can have the last laugh, according to a new study.

SIESTA: Nap'll do it
SIESTA: Nap’ll do it

As well as breaking up the day and an escape from the midday sun, doctors have announced that an afternoon nap can actually lower blood pressure.

The Greek doctor heading up the research, Dr Manolis Kallistratos, has applauded the Spanish way of life.

“Although William Blake affirms that it is better to think in the morning, act at noon, eat in the evening and sleep at night, noon sleep seems to have beneficial effects,” he said.

The study examined 500 patients with high blood pressure aged between 35 and 55.

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