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This Is the Perfect Amount of Time to Nap Without Ruining Your Sleep at Night, Experts Say




If you're a fan of an afternoon snooze but sometimes wake up feeling even groggier, you might be wondering how long a nap should be to actually help revive you. A nap can be really good for you if you're lucky enough to have a free window during the day to catch up on lost Zs—and if you do it right.

That's why we've consulted a neuroscientist and sleep expert about adult sleep habits and napping tips so you can time them well. Here's what they have to say, plus their top dos and don'ts for taking a restorative nap without spoiling your nightly sleep schedule.


How Long Should a Nap Be?

Napping is healthy for you as long as it's done right. "Try to limit [your naps] to 20 minutes," recommends Carolyn D'Ambrosio, MD, FCCP. A 20-minute nap (do set an alarm!) provides you with some light sleep without dipping into the deeper stages of sleep. This helps you feel refreshed and still avoids throwing off your nighttime sleep.


Benefits of Napping

Napping the appropriate amount does wonders for both your mental and physical health. Here are a few of the biggest benefits of napping when it's done under the right conditions.

Improves Mood

A solid nap can improve your mood and energy levels to help you feel refreshed. If you've ever tried the whole "turn it off and turn it back on" trick when your technology is broken, napping can act as the same kind of trick for your mood.

If you're feeling overwhelmed or stressed, a nap offers a quick boost of relaxation to decrease stress and reset the brain. So long as you don't oversleep, you can wake up feeling more alert, less irritable, and more emotionally regulated. (That's why the expression goes: "Just sleep on it.")


Enhances Physical and Cognitive Performance

"Napping improves most, if not all, aspects of physical and cognitive performance," says Major Allison Brager, a neuroscientist. Brager has studied survival under extreme conditions, including sleep deprivation. "The impact [of a nap] is almost immediate."

As an advocate of naps, Brager says these brief moments of sleep can improve strength, power, and stamina, as well as a person's ability to learn and remember information. "A common myth is that high performers don't nap," Brager adds. "The best athletes and many army soldiers take naps to ensure they're performing at their best."




 
 
 

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