Madrid , Spain ( CNN ) -- An unemployed security guard from Ecuador is Spain 's top snoozer . Pedro Soria Lopez , 62 , was able to nap for 17 minutes and register a 70-decibel snore while sprawled out on a couch in the middle of a crowded shopping mall in what 's been billed as the first-ever Spanish National Siesta Championship , CNN sister network CNN Plus reported . The grand siesta champ won the first cash prize of 1,000 euros ( about $ 1,400 ) in credit to purchase goods at the shopping center in Madrid . The competitors started off by lying down on blue sofas , some in pajamas . Each got to eat a lunch ahead of time , then had twenty minutes to get as much z 's as they could squeeze in . Hundreds of contestants took part in the siesta championship which began October 14 and ended Saturday . The intricate rules award points to contestants depending on how long they sleep during the 20-minute competition time , any unusual positions they sleep in , eye-catching pajamas they might be wearing , and yes , a lot of extra points for snoring . The sponsors say it 's meant to raise eyes to the problem of a country that 's become so fast-paced that many say the traditional siesta is at risk . `` The modern life is a danger that we feel is against the siesta . When you sleep la siesta everyone has the image that your life is calm , you have a good life . And then , the modern life is a direct attack , '' said Daniel Blanco , president of the National Association of Friends of the Siesta earlier in the competition . His group , which includes about 50 of his friends across Spain , persuaded a shopping center , Islazul , to host and pay prize money for the siesta competition . In the competition , the siesta is limited to 20 minutes , a duration which the organizers and some doctors say is optimal ; a quick nap after lunch to get refreshed , without entering a deep sleep cycle . But the traditional siesta in Spain often lasts an hour or more . The bustling shopping center where the siesta championship is being held is a prime example of the changing times in Spain . The stores do n't close at lunchtime -- which is what used to happen with Spanish shops -- so instead of sleeping the siesta , people are working or shopping . Siesta lovers complain that Spain 's frenetic push to compete in the global economy means longer , more pressure-package workdays , even if some Spanish workers still get a two-hour lunch break . CNN 's Al Goodman contributed to this report .
Spain 's first national holiday usually wraps up in Madrid . People napped for 17 minutes and emitted a 70-decibel snore . The siesta in Spain often lasts an hour or more . Traditionalists blame introduction of modern ##isation for decline of tradition .