Fellow sleepyheads, rejoice ― it turns out that our daily napping habit is actually good for our brains and bodies.
But there are, sadly, caveats.
For instance, even a sleep-expert-approved nap spells bad news for our overall sleep schedule if we take it after 2 pm (oh, dear).
And it turns out that naps which last longer than a certain amount of minutes can harm our all-important Circadian rhythm, too.
How long should a nap last?
The average length of a nap is about an hour.
But despite the pretty hefty runtime, most people (52.6%) say they actually feel more groggy than refreshed after their midday kip, per The Sleep Foundation.
That’s in line with sleep specialist Dr Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer’s advice to Cleveland Clinic; “You’ll probably want to nap for less than an hour,” she told the publication.
Napping for that long runs the risk of putting yourself into deep sleep, which is likely to make you feel disoriented and experience sleep inertia on waking.
Most sleep cycles take about 90 minutes to complete, too, which is why you may feel especially bleary when you wake up mid-cycle.
Perhaps that’s why Dr Foldvary-Schaefer, the Mayo Clinic, and The Sleep Foundation all agree that the best nap length is between 20-30 minutes.
Not only is that the “sweet spot” for alertness (according to Dr. Abhinav Singh, the medical director of the Indiana Sleep Centre), but you’ll be less likely to disrupt your sleep schedule too.
Do I ever need to worry about napping too much?
Dr. Michael Grandner, the director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona, told the American Heart Association: “If you’re napping because it helps you get through the day, that’s probably a good thing.”
“But if you’re napping because you just can’t stay awake, that’s a sign that there’s some underlying health issue. You’re either not getting enough sleep at night or your sleep quality could be very poor.”
The NHS says you should consider seeing a GP if:
- you’ve been feeling tired for a few weeks and you’re not sure why
- your tiredness affects your daily life
- you feel tired and have other symptoms, such as weight loss or mood changes, or you’ve been told you’re making gasping, snorting or choking noises when you’re asleep.