The actual time a person needs to sleep for during a nap may vary slightly depending on their age and personal sleep cycle. That said, most people will feel best after a nap that does not dip too far into their sleep cycle. The National Sleep Foundation recommend taking a minute nap to wake up feeling refreshed.
However, there may also be some benefit to longer naps. For instance, the results of a study indicated that , , and even minute naps significantly reduced signs of stress and fatigue in physically active men. It also improved their attention and physical performance. The National Sleep Foundation warn that taking longer naps may leave a person feeling groggy, as they will need to wake up from a deeper sleep.
It is important to time naps well due to the sleep cycle. As a person sleeps, their brain naturally moves through different stages of sleep. These stages cause different brain wavelengths and release specific hormones into the bloodstream.
In the most beneficial naps, a person will only go into the first and second stages of sleep. These stages are more superficial and can help a person feel refreshed without them needing to go into a deeper sleep.
For most people, the whole sleep cycle is somewhere around 90— minutes long. Allowing the brain and body to reach the deep stages of sleep makes a person much less responsive to outside stimuli. The results showed that daytime naps longer than 60 minutes were associated with a higher risk of heart disease and dying from all causes compared to not napping. Age, overall health, and sleeping habits may play a role. Limiting your naps to 10 to 20 minutes can leave you feeling more alert and refreshed.
More than that, especially longer than 30 minutes, is likely to leave you feeling sluggish, groggy, and more tired than before you closed your eyes. The best time to take a nap depends on individual factors like your sleep schedule and age.
For most people, napping early in the afternoon is the best way to go. Napping after 3 p. Children and adults have different sleep needs and these continue to change throughout our lifetime. There is some evidence that older adults may benefit from napping for an hour in the afternoon. Getting too much or too little sleep can have negative effects and both can be an indicator of an underlying issue. Sleeping too much can leave you feeling groggy long after you get up.
Oversleeping has been linked to an increased risk of a number of conditions, including:. Too little sleep can also have a number of negative effects on your health.
Not getting enough sleep causes daytime sleepiness and irritability, and can impact your performance. Other effects of sleep deprivation include:.
Napping may be a luxury that few people can afford in these hectic times, but if you can manage to get even just 10 minutes of shut-eye during the day, you can reap numerous health benefits. Napping is supposed to help you feel better, right? Sometimes you wake up…. Even though the human body is hard-wired to handle stress, constant worry and tension can put you at risk of countless health problems, including anxiety, depression, heart disease, and memory impairment.
By making an effort to squeeze nap time into your busy schedule, you may effectively reduce your stress levels and begin to balance out your sleep troubles. Getting quality sleep can help regulate and reduce the production of cortisol the stress hormone and promote faster immune system recovery—leaving you feeling more emotionally stable and ready to tackle the rest of your day.
In fact, a study conducted at NASA surveyed the cognitive effect of napping on military pilots and astronauts. In addition to feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day, a good nap can elevate your mood. Studies have found that taking a nap can increase frustration tolerance, reduce impulsivity, and boost productivity. With tiredness typically comes irritability, so when you take the time to recharge, you can effectively turn your mood and day around.
Ready for a nap? Mastering the art of the power nap takes a little bit of know-how and a healthy dose of practice. Follow these four tips to optimize your best nap time. Stick to the two recommended nap lengths: 20 minutes or 90 minutes. Now that you know how to choose the best nap length for you, it's time to create the best nap environment to doze off effortlessly. A dark, cave-like space at a temperature between 65 and 68 degrees Fahrenheit the exact same conditions for optimal nighttime sleep is most ideal for an afternoon snooze.
Just as you would at nighttime, keep out noise and distractions with noise-blocking earplugs and a light-blocking eye mask. Contrary to what most of society thinks, napping is generally beneficial, from productivity and performance to health and wellness.
Most importantly, its benefits are visible in the immediate term — better energy levels to be your best self at work and at home. Napping the wrong way, though, can be a double-edged sword. When it comes to the best nap length, start with your objectives — are you trying to catch up on sleep or planning to stay up tonight?
Last but not least, be cautious about when you nap. If you nap too late in the day, you may have trouble falling and staying asleep that night, which can undo the benefits you gained from the nap.
For best results, nod off during your afternoon dip the RISE app will tell you when it is. Gradually up your nap duration in similar increments and gauge how you feel. Log your daily nap time in the RISE app to pinpoint the best nap length that gives you better energy all day. But there is one factor that matters even more: timing. Apple Podcasts. Try RISE, free for 7 days:.
Better mood: Naps can help you feel better, from a confidence boost to an upsurge in self-control. Not to mention, you will likely be well-refreshed post-snooze. Better performance: Napping levels up various cognitive parameters that are important to everyday life, including alertness, logical reasoning, and creative problem-solving. Sleep better. Sell more. Learn more about Rise for sales teams. We received your information.
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