Sleeping like a Spaniard

From the moment I moved to Spain, I was fascinated by how late everything starts here. Evenings don’t really begin until after ten. Kids still playing on the terrace at eleven. And TV shows that kick off around the time I used to be brushing my teeth back in the Netherlands.

At first, I thought: “What a mess.” But now I see it differently. Spaniards may have their own rhythm — but they’re surprisingly good at recovery. Not necessarily by sleeping more, but by treating rest in a very different way. After everything I revealed last time about wellness, this time I’m diving into the secret of sleeping like a Spaniard.

The rhythm of light and life

Back in the Netherlands, my schedule often worked against my body. Here, I feel like the daylight and natural rhythm of the day are more in charge. The sun rises later — so mornings start more gently. And instead of planning over your tiredness, you just give yourself permission to pause.

A siesta? I don’t take one every day, but I’m starting to understand what it really means. It’s not about sleeping — it’s about resetting. About not pushing through. About allowing yourself to just do… nothing.

The conversation that flares up every spring

This weekend, it’s happening again: the clocks move forward one hour. And just like every year, the same question pops up here in Spain: “Do we really still need to do this?”

What many people don’t know is that Spain is actually in the wrong time zone. Geographically, we should be in the same zone as Portugal or the UK. But ever since the 1940s (thank you, Franco), we’ve been running on Central European Time.

That means: dark mornings in the west, and very late sunsets in summer. And yes — it pushes everything back. Dinner time, bedtime, your internal clock. No surprise there’s ongoing debate here about sleep deprivation, work rhythm, and productivity.

And yet… no one here really seems to suffer because of it.

Between hustle and surrender

Maybe it’s that Mediterranean adaptability. Or the art of not trying to control life too tightly. I’ve noticed that Spaniards have mastered something many of us have forgotten: the ability to surrender to the moment.

Where in the north rest often has to be scheduled in (“quick yoga session to unwind”), here it feels more like a built-in reflex. Just pausing for a moment. Having an espresso without a laptop. Doing absolutely nothing — and being fine with that.

I think it helps that people here live more outdoors. They soak up more light. Experience more daylight. And sleep with the windows open instead of blackout curtains and white noise machines.
That, to me, is sleeping like a Spaniard.

My tips for a good night’s sleep on the Costa

Since moving here, I’ve been sleeping more deeply. Not necessarily longer — but definitely more peacefully. And I think that’s thanks to a few simple things:

1. Natural daylight during the day
I start my day outside. Even when it’s cloudy. I have my coffee on the balcony or take a stroll to the market. The daylight switches my system on — without diving straight into a screen. And that one small difference? I feel it in the evening. I’m tired at the right time, not overstimulated or wired.

2. No guilt over taking breaks
In the Netherlands, I often felt guilty if I spent half an hour doing nothing. Here, I’ve learned that taking a break isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. Sitting at a café with no agenda. Closing your eyes in a lounge chair for a bit. Or just lying on the couch without having to “be productive.” Once I allowed that, it became so much easier to wind down in the evenings.

3. Movement in the fresh air
Working out in a fluorescent-lit gym isn’t my thing. I’d much rather walk through the orange groves or hike up to a lookout in the Sierra. I’ve learned that my mind calms down when my body moves. And that crisp coastal air? It does the rest.

4. And yes… sometimes a siesta
Not every day, but when I feel myself crashing, I go with it. Ten or twenty minutes, eyes closed, phone out of reach. It’s not really sleep — it’s a reset. And afterward, I feel more clear-headed than I would after three espressos.

My advice? Don’t follow the clock — follow your body. Let the sun be your alarm clock. And notice what happens when you stop trying to understand the Spanish rhythm — and simply start living it.