How to Power Nap for Your Mental Health

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsHow Much Sleep Do You Need?The Effects of Missed SleepThe Benefits of NappingHow Long Should I Sleep?Tips For a More Effective Nap

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

The Effects of Missed Sleep

The Benefits of Napping

How Long Should I Sleep?

Tips For a More Effective Nap

Close

While small children typically take naps nearly every day, the decades that follow involve less frequent and shorter naps, if any at all, until they begin to peak again after the age of 55.However, many people experience a natural increase in drowsiness in the afternoon, about 8 hours after waking. Research shows that you can feel refreshed and alert with a little nap built into your day.

A mid-day snooze or a ‘power nap’ has been linked with a multitude of benefits includingreduced feelings of stress, improved focus and memory, and better health.Here’s what you need to know about the benefits of napping, how long a nap should be, and how a power nap can help you!

Most experts agree that the average adult body needs 7-9 hours ofsleepper day, depending on personal and genetic factors.However, more than one-third of Americans sleep less than 7 hours per night.

Cognitive Functioning

These accidents and injuries occur because sleep deprivation can have immediate and long-term effects on cognitive functioning, including:

Mood

Fatigued people may also experience more feelings of stress, irritability, and anger. It can take a toll on ourmotivationand can lead to othermental health problemslikeburnout, depression,anxiety, aggression, and substance abuse.

Health

People who haven’t slept enough tend to have more headaches, diminished immune functioning, and increased food cravings leading to weight gain. Over time, research shows that the physiological effects of sleep debt can lead to more serious health problems like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and kidney disease.

The body seems to be designed for napping, as most people’s bodies naturally become more tired in the afternoon, about 8 hours after we wake up. That urge to snooze in the afternoon is calledsleep drive. This is due to the buildup of a chemical in the brain known asadenosine. Interestingly,caffeine blocks adenosine receptorsin the brain, which allows our brain to stay awake and alert after a cup of coffee.

The longer you are awake, the more adenosine accumulates in your brain, increasing the feeling of pressure to sleep. Sleeping allows the brain to recycle the built-up adenosine so we can feel refreshed and alert.

Understanding the perfect length of a nap requires a bit of knowledge about the sleep cycle. As you sleep, you pass through different stages of sleep, known collectively as a sleep cycle. These stages involve three stages going from light sleep intodeep sleep(which is believed to be the stage in which the body repairs itself). There is also rapid-eye-movement sleep, or REM sleep (during which mostdreamingtakes place).

It takes approximately 90 minutes to proceed through one cycle of sleep, typically ending in REM sleep, and maybe a brief awakening, before you start the cycle again. You should do this five to six times per night for an average of 7 to 9 hours of sleep.

Perhaps you didn’t get enough sleep last night, or your sleep was interrupted affecting the quality of your deep restorative sleep. And maybe this happens night after night. If you are not getting enough quality or quantity of sleep, you are probably paying for it. Research shows that naps can helppay off your sleep debtand leave you feeling refreshed and alert to get you through the rest of your day.

Many experts advise keeping your nap around 10-20 minutes, known as thepower nap.Shift workers, NASA pilots, and elite athletes appreciate enhanced performance and recovery after short naps.

Nap with caution. Naps longer than 30 minutes run the risk of getting you into deeper stages of sleep, from which it’s more difficult to awaken and you may feel groggy when this stage is interrupted (this is known assleep inertia). Long naps can also make it more difficult to fall asleep at night or reduce the quality of your night sleep, especially if your sleep deficit is relatively small. Not getting the right balance of sleep can lead to insomnia and other sleep disorders.

The 20-minute power nap is highly encouraged for anyone who can do it, and it will not disrupt your sleep at night. On the other hand, research has shown that a 60-to 90-minute nap has even more restorative effects than a power nap, because of the numerous benefits of deep sleep. The key to taking a longer nap is to get a sense of how long your sleep cycles are and try to awakenat the endof a complete sleep cycle, preferably right after a pleasant dream.

Every individual is different and there are pros and cons to each length of sleep. You may want to let your schedule and your body decide: if you only have 15 minutes to spare, take them! But if you could work in a 60-90-minute nap, you may do well to complete a whole sleep cycle. If you wake up feeling disoriented and groggy, you might need to hit the snooze button to make sure you complete that sleep cycle.

If you only have 5 minutes to spare, just close your eyes; even a brief rest has the benefit of reducing stress and helping you relax a little, which can give you more energy to complete the tasks of your day.

If you want to obtain more sleep and the health benefits that go with getting enough sleep, here are some tips for more effective napping and sleep at night:

19 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sleep Foundation.Who’s napping, how long, and what does it mean for our health?Mantua J, Spencer RMC.Exploring the nap paradox: Are mid-day sleep bouts a friend or foe?Sleep Med. 2017;37:88–97. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2017.01.019National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How much sleep is enough?Liu Y, Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Cunningham TJ, Lu H, Croft JB.Prevalence of healthy sleep duration among adults–United States, 2014.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(6):137-141. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6506a1Kitamura S, Katayose Y, Nakazaki K, et al.Estimating individual optimal sleep duration and potential sleep debt.Sci Rep. 2016;6:35812. doi:10.1038/srep35812Van Someren EJW, Cirelli C, Dijk DJ, Van Cauter E, Schwartz S, Chee MWL.Disrupted sleep: From molecules to cognition.J Neurosci. 2015;35(41):13889-13895. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2592-15.2015National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are sleep deprivation and deficiency?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Drowsy driving – 19 states and the District of Columbia, 2009-2010.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;61:1033–1037.National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.NHTSA Drowsy Driving Research and Program Plan. U.S. Department of Transportation; 2016. DOT publication HS 812 252.Sleep Foundation.How lack of sleep impacts cognitive performance and focus.Rasch B, Born J.About sleep’s role in memory.Physiol Rev. 2013;93(2):681–766. doi:10.1152/physrev.00032.2012Koutsimani P, Montgomery A, Georganta K.The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:284. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284Bassetti CL, Ferini‐Strambi L, Brown S, et al.Neurology and psychiatry: Waking up to opportunities of sleep: State of the art and clinical/research priorities for the next decade.Euro J of Neurology. 2015;22(10):1337-1354. doi:10.1523%2FJNEUROSCI.2592-15.2015Sleep Foundation.Adenosine and sleep.UpToDate.Stages and architecture of normal sleep.Leong RLF, Lo JC, Chee MWL.Systematic review and meta-analyses on the effects of afternoon napping on cognition.Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2022;65:101666. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101666Hilditch CJ.The benefit of napping for safety. NASA Ames Research Center. 2019.Lastella M, Roach GD, Halson SL, Sargent C.Sleep/wake behaviours of elite athletes from individual and team sports.Eur J Sport Sci. 2015;2(15):94–100. doi:10.1080/17461391.2014.932016Sleep Foundation.Napping: Benefits and tips.

19 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Sleep Foundation.Who’s napping, how long, and what does it mean for our health?Mantua J, Spencer RMC.Exploring the nap paradox: Are mid-day sleep bouts a friend or foe?Sleep Med. 2017;37:88–97. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2017.01.019National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How much sleep is enough?Liu Y, Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Cunningham TJ, Lu H, Croft JB.Prevalence of healthy sleep duration among adults–United States, 2014.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(6):137-141. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6506a1Kitamura S, Katayose Y, Nakazaki K, et al.Estimating individual optimal sleep duration and potential sleep debt.Sci Rep. 2016;6:35812. doi:10.1038/srep35812Van Someren EJW, Cirelli C, Dijk DJ, Van Cauter E, Schwartz S, Chee MWL.Disrupted sleep: From molecules to cognition.J Neurosci. 2015;35(41):13889-13895. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2592-15.2015National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are sleep deprivation and deficiency?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Drowsy driving – 19 states and the District of Columbia, 2009-2010.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;61:1033–1037.National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.NHTSA Drowsy Driving Research and Program Plan. U.S. Department of Transportation; 2016. DOT publication HS 812 252.Sleep Foundation.How lack of sleep impacts cognitive performance and focus.Rasch B, Born J.About sleep’s role in memory.Physiol Rev. 2013;93(2):681–766. doi:10.1152/physrev.00032.2012Koutsimani P, Montgomery A, Georganta K.The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:284. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284Bassetti CL, Ferini‐Strambi L, Brown S, et al.Neurology and psychiatry: Waking up to opportunities of sleep: State of the art and clinical/research priorities for the next decade.Euro J of Neurology. 2015;22(10):1337-1354. doi:10.1523%2FJNEUROSCI.2592-15.2015Sleep Foundation.Adenosine and sleep.UpToDate.Stages and architecture of normal sleep.Leong RLF, Lo JC, Chee MWL.Systematic review and meta-analyses on the effects of afternoon napping on cognition.Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2022;65:101666. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101666Hilditch CJ.The benefit of napping for safety. NASA Ames Research Center. 2019.Lastella M, Roach GD, Halson SL, Sargent C.Sleep/wake behaviours of elite athletes from individual and team sports.Eur J Sport Sci. 2015;2(15):94–100. doi:10.1080/17461391.2014.932016Sleep Foundation.Napping: Benefits and tips.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Sleep Foundation.Who’s napping, how long, and what does it mean for our health?Mantua J, Spencer RMC.Exploring the nap paradox: Are mid-day sleep bouts a friend or foe?Sleep Med. 2017;37:88–97. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2017.01.019National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How much sleep is enough?Liu Y, Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Cunningham TJ, Lu H, Croft JB.Prevalence of healthy sleep duration among adults–United States, 2014.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(6):137-141. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6506a1Kitamura S, Katayose Y, Nakazaki K, et al.Estimating individual optimal sleep duration and potential sleep debt.Sci Rep. 2016;6:35812. doi:10.1038/srep35812Van Someren EJW, Cirelli C, Dijk DJ, Van Cauter E, Schwartz S, Chee MWL.Disrupted sleep: From molecules to cognition.J Neurosci. 2015;35(41):13889-13895. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2592-15.2015National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are sleep deprivation and deficiency?Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Drowsy driving – 19 states and the District of Columbia, 2009-2010.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;61:1033–1037.National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.NHTSA Drowsy Driving Research and Program Plan. U.S. Department of Transportation; 2016. DOT publication HS 812 252.Sleep Foundation.How lack of sleep impacts cognitive performance and focus.Rasch B, Born J.About sleep’s role in memory.Physiol Rev. 2013;93(2):681–766. doi:10.1152/physrev.00032.2012Koutsimani P, Montgomery A, Georganta K.The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:284. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284Bassetti CL, Ferini‐Strambi L, Brown S, et al.Neurology and psychiatry: Waking up to opportunities of sleep: State of the art and clinical/research priorities for the next decade.Euro J of Neurology. 2015;22(10):1337-1354. doi:10.1523%2FJNEUROSCI.2592-15.2015Sleep Foundation.Adenosine and sleep.UpToDate.Stages and architecture of normal sleep.Leong RLF, Lo JC, Chee MWL.Systematic review and meta-analyses on the effects of afternoon napping on cognition.Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2022;65:101666. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101666Hilditch CJ.The benefit of napping for safety. NASA Ames Research Center. 2019.Lastella M, Roach GD, Halson SL, Sargent C.Sleep/wake behaviours of elite athletes from individual and team sports.Eur J Sport Sci. 2015;2(15):94–100. doi:10.1080/17461391.2014.932016Sleep Foundation.Napping: Benefits and tips.

Sleep Foundation.Who’s napping, how long, and what does it mean for our health?

Mantua J, Spencer RMC.Exploring the nap paradox: Are mid-day sleep bouts a friend or foe?Sleep Med. 2017;37:88–97. doi:10.1016/j.sleep.2017.01.019

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.How much sleep is enough?

Liu Y, Wheaton AG, Chapman DP, Cunningham TJ, Lu H, Croft JB.Prevalence of healthy sleep duration among adults–United States, 2014.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2016;65(6):137-141. doi:10.15585/mmwr.mm6506a1

Kitamura S, Katayose Y, Nakazaki K, et al.Estimating individual optimal sleep duration and potential sleep debt.Sci Rep. 2016;6:35812. doi:10.1038/srep35812

Van Someren EJW, Cirelli C, Dijk DJ, Van Cauter E, Schwartz S, Chee MWL.Disrupted sleep: From molecules to cognition.J Neurosci. 2015;35(41):13889-13895. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2592-15.2015

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.What are sleep deprivation and deficiency?

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Drowsy driving – 19 states and the District of Columbia, 2009-2010.MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2013;61:1033–1037.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.NHTSA Drowsy Driving Research and Program Plan. U.S. Department of Transportation; 2016. DOT publication HS 812 252.

Sleep Foundation.How lack of sleep impacts cognitive performance and focus.

Rasch B, Born J.About sleep’s role in memory.Physiol Rev. 2013;93(2):681–766. doi:10.1152/physrev.00032.2012

Koutsimani P, Montgomery A, Georganta K.The relationship between burnout, depression, and anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Front Psychol. 2019;10:284. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00284

Bassetti CL, Ferini‐Strambi L, Brown S, et al.Neurology and psychiatry: Waking up to opportunities of sleep: State of the art and clinical/research priorities for the next decade.Euro J of Neurology. 2015;22(10):1337-1354. doi:10.1523%2FJNEUROSCI.2592-15.2015

Sleep Foundation.Adenosine and sleep.

UpToDate.Stages and architecture of normal sleep.

Leong RLF, Lo JC, Chee MWL.Systematic review and meta-analyses on the effects of afternoon napping on cognition.Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2022;65:101666. doi:10.1016/j.smrv.2022.101666

Hilditch CJ.The benefit of napping for safety. NASA Ames Research Center. 2019.

Lastella M, Roach GD, Halson SL, Sargent C.Sleep/wake behaviours of elite athletes from individual and team sports.Eur J Sport Sci. 2015;2(15):94–100. doi:10.1080/17461391.2014.932016

Sleep Foundation.Napping: Benefits and tips.

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