Best Length For A Nap: How Long Should A Nap Be

To begin with, what is the best length for a nap? 

In general, the best nap length for adults is about 20 minutes and no longer than 30 minutes. The 20-minute nap allows the napper to get a little light sleep to improve alertness without dozing off completely. Awakening from a deep sleep can make you feel groggy and may even make you feel sleepier.

For more information, continue reading.

When Should You Take A Nap?

In some cases, a longer nap of around an hour and a half may also be beneficial. This period of time enables the body to cycle through the various sleep stages without disturbing deep sleep. For shift workers and emergency personnel who are trying to avoid fatigue, this type of longer nap may be especially beneficial.

Best Nap Length For Adults

If you’re like most people, you probably plan the duration of your nap by considering how much free time you have. Stick to the recommended nap times and consider what constitutes a good sleep score rather than relying on an ambiguous time frame to answer the question “how long should I nap?” for that time frame.

Adult naps should last 20 or 90 minutes, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Here’s why:

• 10-20 minute naps are also referred to as power naps. By taking these quick naps, you can awaken feeling revived, energised, and alert. As an added bonus, well-timed power naps have little to no effect on your nighttime sleep, so you can go to bed at your regular time without any trouble falling asleep.
• 90-minute naps allow you to cycle through all sleep stages while avoiding sleep inertia, since you’re not waking up during deep sleep. These naps can make you feel completely refreshed, more imaginative, more focused, and more physically energised.

Naps Types 

Depending on your needs and goals for sleep, you can try a few different types of naps. We’ll go over the most popular nap styles so you can decide which one to try next.

Power Nap — When you’re pressed for time, take a nap to recharge your batteries.

• Time: 10–20 Minutes
• Best for: individuals with a lengthy to-do list.

Recovery Nap — a nap you take to recover from a lack of sleep.

• Time: 90 minutes
• Best for: people who stayed up late to finish their most recent TV binge.

Prophylactic Nap — a power nap before a night of nonstop activity or insomnia.

• Time: 90 minutes
• Best for: Those whose sleep will be disturbed that evening.

Appetitive Nap — a nap taken solely for the pleasure of napping.

• Time: 10–90 Minutes
• Best for: people who enjoy naps but don’t need to catch up on sleep.

Fulfillment Nap — a child who sleeps less than an adult takes a nap.

• Time: 30+ Minutes
• Best for: kids whose needs for sleep weren’t met the night before.

Caffeine Nap — a nap that comes right after consuming caffeine so that you awaken from it.

• Time: 20 minutes
• Best for: Those who require a double-strength energy boost.

Essential Nap — a nap taken by a sick person as a result of their illness.

• Time: 10–90 Minutes
• Best for: those who are unwell.

Naps Benefits 

Numerous advantages can be attained from naps. Short naps can be rejuvenating and help you feel less worn out during the day. After a restless night of sleep, a nap may help you feel more alert during the day. For shift workers who have trouble getting enough sleep and need to be alert at unpredictable times, naps can be especially helpful.

A short daytime snooze may also boost workplace performance. A nap can improve cognitive functions such as memory, logical reasoning, and the ability to complete complex tasks.

Some studies have found that physical performance can also improve after napping. A daytime nap may help athletes’ endurance, reaction times, and cognitive performance.

Other health advantages of napping may exist. One observational study found that napping one or two times a week was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular problems, such as heart attack, stroke, or heart disease. However, more research is needed to understand the complex ways that the frequency and duration of naps affect heart health.

The negative effects of insufficient sleep may be lessened by napping. For example, a small trial found evidence that naps relieved stress and supported the immune system in people whose sleep was limited the night before.

Additionally, taking naps may improve the health of particular demographic groups. For instance, a study of people diagnosed with intracranial aneurysms found that regularly napping was associated with a lowered risk of a rupture of the aneurysm.

How Sleep Works During Nap Time

Whether at night or during the day, sleep unfolds in a series of stages that make up a sleep cycle.

• Stage 1: Stage 1 lasts just one to seven minutes and is the lightest and shortest stage of sleep.
• Stage 2: Stage 2 lasts between 10 and 25 minutes and comes after stage 1. Body functions slow down and muscles relax during stage 2 sleep. However, sleep in this stage is still relatively light.
• Stage 3: It can be challenging to wake up during stage 3 of sleep because it is a deeper, more restorative stage. Between 20 and 40 minutes are typically needed for Stage 3.
• Roughly speaking, REM The body’s muscles temporarily become paralyzed during REM sleep, and the eyes move quickly beneath closed eyelids. REM sleep is when dreams typically occur.

The body goes through these stages several times during lengthy stretches of sleep. However, a nap doesn’t last long enough for multiple sleep cycles.

In fact, a brief nap may prevent a person from falling asleep for long enough to experience much, if any, REM sleep. This may actually make it simpler to wake up feeling rested after a brief nap.

Longer naps, such as those lasting more than 30 minutes, can cause the sleeper to enter deep sleep, and deep sleep may start even sooner in people who are sleep deprived. Being awakened while in a deep sleep frequently leaves one feeling groggy.

When To Take A Nap

Adults should generally avoid naps eight hours or more before bedtime, according to experts. This usually entails taking a nap before 3 p.m. for most people. A late afternoon nap may make it harder to sleep at night.

Some individuals may find that after lunch, naps come naturally or are even required. This is sometimes known as the post-lunch dip. The post-lunch dip is related to circadian rhythm, even though eating lunch may contribute to afternoon sleepiness. Circadian rhythm is the body’s internal clock that follows a 24-hour cycle. Within this cycle are two peak periods for sleepiness. The second peak, which is smaller, is at midday, while the largest peak occurs at night.

Where To Take A Nap

Cool, quiet, and darkness make for a good sleeping environment. The right environment for napping can help you avoid unwanted awakenings or interruptions.

A bedroom is probably a good place for a quick nap for people who work from home since it is already designed to encourage sleep. Both at night and while taking a nap during the day, adding white noise or blackout curtains to block out distractions may be helpful.

Accessories like earplugs or an eye mask in the workplace can lessen interruptions during naps. When at all possible, naps ought to be taken in an area where interruptions aren’t likely to happen. Even nap pods or other quiet areas for relaxation or a brief period of restorative sleep may be available in some offices.

Tips For Taking A Nap

Remember To Set An Alarm

Set an alarm for the desired nap length, which is typically 20 minutes, before nodding off during nap time.

Don’t press the snooze button to prolong sleep when the alarm goes off because you run the risk of falling asleep longer. To prevent taking naps for too long, set a second alarm to sound shortly after the first one.

In order to shake off any post-nap sleepiness, try to get up as soon as the alarm goes off and stretch or take a short walk.

Consider Caffeine Naps

Caffeine may help people who are napping to gain energy. Caffeine affects the brain and body about 30 minutes after consumption, so consuming caffeine just before a quick nap may improve alertness when you wake up.

Keep It Short

Limit your napping to the two suggested durations: 20 minutes or 90 minutes. Limiting your sleep is difficult when you’re particularly tired, but it’s essential if you want to wake up feeling rejuvenated and renewed.

Nap During The Early Afternoon

more prolonged naps, especially after 3 p.m., can mess up your nighttime sleep schedule, so it’s more beneficial to you to nap between the hours of 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

Pick A Comfortable Environment

Sleeping can be one of the most difficult aspects of naps. If you have trouble falling asleep, think about using a weighted blanket or finding a cool, cozy place to curl up. As well as applying balms or essential oil blends for sleep, you might think about using mindfulness techniques.

Stop Naps Disturbing Your Sleep At Night

Taking a nap during your circadian rhythm’s (your internal body clock) afternoon dip, which typically takes place between early and late afternoon, is recommended by research to help you avoid this undesirable scenario. When daytime sleep latency is at its lowest and daytime sleepiness is at its highest, as it is during this window, it is much simpler to fall asleep.

The precise time of your afternoon slump largely depends on personal traits like how much sleep debt you’re carrying and your chronotype, or biological propensities for sleeping and waking.

A significant sleep debt will undoubtedly prolong your energy slump, increase your drowsiness, and tempt you to take a nap earlier than usual. When your afternoon slump strikes depends on your chronotype. People with body clocks that are shorter than 24 hours, such as morning people, typically experience a more noticeable energy dip from noon to early afternoon. On the other hand, night owls might only experience the lull after mid-afternoon.

To avoid delaying your ability to sleep at night, try to avoid taking naps too late in the day or too close to going to bed. You can choose when to take a nap using the RISE app. Based on your particular chronobiology, it displays the timing of your afternoon dip. The app can also connect to your calendar and display the most advantageous time for you to take a nap based on your commitments and energy needs. No time to take a nap? When you can schedule other energizing activities like getting some natural light or taking a walk, RISE will let you know.

Is It Possible To Nap Too Much?

Yes, in a nutshell. You can have too much of a good thing when it comes to napping. Referring back to our earlier discussion of napping and sleep pressure, a protracted nap increases your chances of falling asleep deeply, thereby reducing some of the necessary sleep pressure for the following night’s sleep. A small study involving nine healthy adults provides support for this. According to its findings, a 90-minute nap (equivalent to an entire sleep cycle) decreased nighttime sleep efficiency (the amount of time you spend sleeping in bed) by 2.4%.

As a result, we advise against taking a nap during your afternoon dip that lasts longer than 90 minutes. It will give you the best chance of cycling through both REM and non-REM sleep so you can make the most of your siesta without seriously upsetting your regular sleep schedule and still have a restful night’s sleep that night.

Is It Healthy To Sleep?

Taking naps is healthy. Your mood, productivity, and health can all be enhanced by them. Some cultures are devoted to the art of napping, in contrast to ours in the United States, which considers it to be a lazy man’s activity. Consider Spain as an illustration. There is a word for it because they value daytime naps so highly: siesta. The same is true for the Italians, who call napping “riposo.””

Whatever name they go by, there are a lot of advantages to taking naps. First, if going to bed early or sleeping in isn’t an option, napping is a viable option for making up lost sleep during the day. After all, you don’t want to experience the negative effects of sleep deprivation, such as a bad mood or difficulty concentrating the following day and a longer-term increased risk of heart disease.

Assisting you to stay alert at work, school, and in your daily activities are strategically timed afternoon naps. You are a few steps away from being your best self if you are feeling more energised. One study found that napping before a night shift could reduce car accidents by as much as 48%. On a more serious note, naps increase alertness, potentially saving lives.

Not least of all, napping offers a number of mental and emotional benefits, including:

• Better memory: According to the Journal of Sleep Research, a six-minute nap significantly increased a person’s ability to remember a list of words.
• Better mood: Your mood may improve thanks to naps, which may also give you more self-control or more confidence. Additionally, after a nap, you probably feel refreshed.
• Better performance: Taking a nap improves a number of cognitive abilities that are crucial for day-to-day functioning, such as alertness, logical reasoning, reaction time, and creative problem-solving.

Given all the advantages of napping during the day, it would be imprudent not to use afternoon naps to enhance your life in all the important ways. There is a proper way to nap, you should be aware of that. To determine the ideal nap length for you, you must first decide what your nap goals are. But there are other considerations as well besides length. Equally, if not more so, important is timing.

Reminder: If you have insomnia, are adjusting to jet lag or shift work, trying to shift your sleep schedule to an earlier time, or if you have insomnia, you should refrain from taking naps. In these circumstances, falling asleep at night is difficult enough without running the risk of waking up from a nap feeling less tired. Speak with a sleep specialist if you have a sleep disorder to determine the best course of treatment for you. See more about Best Sleeping Position For Sciatica

Can Naps Take The Place Of Nighttime Sleep?

Yes, naps can help you catch up on lost sleep, increase alertness and focus, or rejuvenate yourself after a particularly demanding day. However, this does not imply that you should give up your nighttime sleep in favor of afternoon naps.

Because they last only a fraction as long as a full night’s sleep, naps may not completely alleviate sleep pressure. Actually, studies suggest that if you’re already severely sleep deprived, naps might not help you recover much. In addition, you don’t want to nap for too long or too late because doing so could undermine your ability to sleep at night. This goes back to our earlier point about reducing sleep pressure.

Instead, think of naps as the companion to your nighttime sleep, which is what your body needs to meet its genetically determined sleep requirements. Your daytime nap serves as a safety net for making up lost sleep when the majority of your sleep needs are met by naturalistic, healthy sleep.

What Are The Best Ways To Utilize A Nap?

Even if you are familiar with the ideal nap length and duration, there are still a few other factors to take into account. Here’s how to take the ideal snooze:

• Set up a comfortable napping space by: The best environment for a nap in the afternoon is a cave-like environment, dark, and between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit (exactly the same temperatures for ideal nighttime sleep). Use noise-canceling earplugs and a light-canceling eye mask to block out distractions, just as you would at night.
• snooze while you swim in the afternoon: This will decrease the likelihood that your nap will interfere with your nighttime sleep and free up your energy peaks, which are typically felt in the morning and early evening, for harder tasks. To find out when your daily energy peaks and troughs are likely to occur, check RISE.
• Set an alarm: Set an alarm to ensure that you don’t snooze for too long and disrupt your sleep that night. Don’t forget to account for how long it might take you to fall asleep.
• Upon waking, expose yourself to light: To overcome sleep inertia, expose yourself to bright light, preferably natural light. This is crucial following a longer nap, but it will also increase your alertness following a quick power nap.
• Keep up good sleep habits: Practicing good sleep habits during the day will improve your quality of sleep at night. In order to be able to fall asleep by the time it’s time for bed, it’s even more crucial to maintain good sleep hygiene if you’ve been taking naps during the day. You can get information on 20+ sleep hygiene practices from the RISE app.

What Is The Difference Between Napping And Sleeping?

We’ve all experienced the situation where a quick nap turns into an extended nap lasting several hours. Probabilities are good that your usual bedtime and a true good night’s sleep are completely out the window, whether you wake up feeling rested or even more exhausted than before. The clear distinction between napping and sleeping can be found right there. Sleep offers a total reset, whereas naps are designed to give your battery a temporary boost.

The duration and sleep cycles are the main distinctions between napping and sleeping. Your brain naturally transitions through these four stages of sleep when you are ready to sleep. Light sleep, deep sleep, and REM cycles repeat every 90 to 110 minutes as each stage advances sequentially.

The ideal nap length keeps you in light sleep and prevents you from going into REM or deep sleep stages because the purpose of a good nap is to re-energize your mind and body. Therefore, 10–20 minute naps should be ideal.

The deep sleep and REM stages, on the other hand, are when you truly sleep because this is when your body experiences the most significant healing. To maintain a healthy, high-functioning lifestyle, experts advise adults to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night.

Conclusion

A sign that you might benefit from a quick afternoon nap is if you have trouble keeping your eyes open during the day. After all, almost one-third of Americans take naps to combat their fatigue.

Although naps were once commonplace in childhood, many adults now have trouble finding a suitable schedule.

Finding the ideal nap length, type, and strategy for your needs requires some trial and error.