There’s nothing worse than waking up from a nap, only to realise that you are more tired than before.
Reasons for this may be because you are not optimizing you nap times and have little knowledge on the length of time a nap should be to avoid tiredness.
Search ‘best time length…’ on Google and the auto-fill responses are full of nap-related searches e.g. ‘…for a nap,’ ‘…for a power nap’ and ‘….refreshing nap.’ It is no surprise that so many people search for the answer of the nap-time mystery, with naps having so many health benefits, such as revitalisation and restoration. Many historical figures have been known to reap the benefits of naps, such as Eleanor Roosevelt who took regular power naps to refresh her mind and boost energy. So, what is the perfect length for a nap?
The Nation Sleep Foundation (NSF) found that five minutes is too short for a nap, while anything over 30 minutes is too long. From their research, they have suggested that 10-20 minutes is the ideal length for a nap to restore the mind and body, though this may be dependent on age.
In a survey of university students, it found that the majority nap for 45-60 minutes, with 41% saying they wake up still feeling tired. The NSF suggest that any nap over 30 minutes allows the body to enter a prolonged deep sleep, meaning that waking up can make you feel groggy for up to an hour. Despite the survey showing that less than half of students wake up feeling tired after their nap, around 90% of naps are taken due to tiredness. This suggests that the optimal length nap varies from person to person.
Optimizing your nap time is very important and something that does not get enough attention, especially for students. The NSF found that naps have a direct link to improved learning and helping memory formation, so can actually help with studies and learning new skills. Experimenting with different length naps and finding out what works for you can have benefits that you never thought.
So, it is about time you do your research and get to sleep!
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