Sometimes, nothing is more refreshing than a nice nap. Whether it’s a power nap after a long day at the office or on a nice, lazy weekend day, naps can help you feel rested and energized.
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Naps have other health benefits, too. One study found that naps have the potential to boost memory when learning new information or new tasks. A midday nap can also help you feel more alert and reset you a bit emotionally, easing stress enough to help you be less impulsive and deal with frustration a little better.
But naps can also have their downsides. Naps for adults should be no more than an hour and probably best kept to the 15- to 20-minute range. Anything beyond that – especially considering the time of day – could have consequences. We caught up with sleep medicine specialist Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, DO, MS, for more insight on how long your nap should be.
How long of a nap is too long?
No matter how tired you are, your naps really shouldn’t stretch for more than an hour. At that point, you start risking interrupting your sleep schedule for the night ahead.
Naps should be relatively short for adults, something that can help keep you energized without interrupting your circadian rhythm. “You’ll probably want to nap for less than an hour,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer says. “If you can power nap for 15 or 20 minutes, all the better.”
While keeping naps short is important, so is making sure you take them early enough in the day. “You’ll probably want to nap earlier in the day, like before 2 p.m. or 3 p.m.,” she adds. Any later in the day can risk interrupting your sleep schedule.
Are long naps bad for you?
It’s not that long naps are bad for you, exactly, but they do carry risks. The biggest risk is sleep inertia. “Napping for an hour or longer increases your risk of falling into the deep stages of sleep,” Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer points out.
Those stages are harder to wake from, and the consequence of waking out of those later, deeper sleep cycles is confusion. “When this happens, you’ll wake up with a groggy feeling where you don’t even know where you are. That’s sleep inertia,” she says. “Your nap may not even be refreshing.”
Plus, as mentioned, if your naps go too long and too late in the day, you could throw your sleep schedule off, making it harder to fall asleep that night. And that can kick off a vicious cycle of lost sleep.
Can naps make up for lost sleep?
No, long naps aren’t meant to make up for lost sleep. In fact, long naps can negatively impact your “sleep debt,” the difference between the sleep your body needs and the sleep you actually get during the night.
“You start creating your sleep debt from the moment you wake up in the morning,” notes Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer. While a nap may help you refocus for a bit, it’s not a long-term solution. You may feel better that day, but it can create a cycle that compounds your sleep debt.
First, it can lead to short-term sleep issues. “If you let yourself sleep that debt off too early in the day, you’ll have trouble sleeping at night,” explains Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer. And that’s when naps can create a long-term issue with sleep debt.
Once you’ve derailed your sleep for a night or two, it becomes even harder to break out of the cycle. “When nighttime sleep is compromised, your wake times and bedtimes can start to vary which may lead to chronic sleep problems,” she adds.
Chronic sleep problems can, in turn, lead to bigger health complications, including:
The bottom line? Napping can be a huge benefit as long as you take the right approach: Do it earlier in the day and use an alarm to make sure you keep your nap at just the right length of time.
FAQs
Aim to nap for only 10 to 20 minutes. The longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy afterward. However, young adults might be able to tolerate longer naps.
Is a 45 minute nap too long? ›
What's the Best Nap Length? Short naps (10-20 mins) improve alertness but wear off quickly; longer naps (40-90 mins) boost complex thinking but may cause sleep inertia or grogginess. Consider factors like your work schedule and specific goals when customizing your nap length.
Should I nap for 60 or 90 minutes? ›
The Memory Nap (60 - 90 minutes)
But know that longer naps can trigger temporary grogginess called "sleep inertia" after waking up. They may not be the best choice if you need to be alert right after waking up! It's best not to go over 90 minutes or nap too close to bedtime, or you'll impact your nighttime rest.
Is a 2 hour nap to long? ›
A 2-hour nap may make you feel groggy after you wake up and you might have trouble falling asleep at night. Aim for napping up to 90 minutes, 120-minutes if necessary. Napping every day for 2 hours could be a sign of sleep deprivation and should be discussed with a doctor.
What is the perfect nap time? ›
Following an extensive study. View Source , NASA determined that the ideal nap length is 26 minutes to maximize its effects on job performance and alertness, and minimize the effects of sleep inertia, the dazed sluggish feeling commonly experienced from longer naps.
What is the 90 minute nap rule? ›
The 30-90 rule is a guideline for taking a good nap without feeling groggy afterward. It states that naps should last 30 minutes or less — OR be at least 90 minutes long, in order to improve physical health and cognitive performance.
What is the 60 minute nap rule? ›
Between feedings, diaper changes, short periods of wakefulness, more diaper changes, and naps, newborns rarely follow a predictable schedule — and that's OK! The key to having a well-rested infant is offering naps 60 minutes after each time they wake.
How long is a power nap? ›
Power naps are quick, mid-day naps that typically last 10-30 minutes. Experts note 20 minutes is likely the best power nap duration. Taking a 20-minute power nap can help you feel reenergized, but it helps you avoid deep sleep that makes you groggy when you wake up.
Is a 1 hour nap worth it? ›
No matter how tired you are, your naps really shouldn't stretch for more than an hour. At that point, you start risking interrupting your sleep schedule for the night ahead. Naps should be relatively short for adults, something that can help keep you energized without interrupting your circadian rhythm.
How long to nap if sleep-deprived? ›
Taking a nap is often the first remedy that comes to mind if you are sleep deprived. A brief, 10 to 20 minute nap. View Source may help you feel more refreshed during the day.
Ideally, you should try to get more than 90 minutes of sleep. Sleeping between 90 and 110 minutes gives your body time to complete one full sleep cycle and can minimize grogginess when you wake. But any sleep is better than not at all — even if it's a 20-minute nap.
Is it better to get 3 hours of sleep or all nighter? ›
If you've only got two hours available now, try to get more sleep later on. The same thinking applies no matter how much time you have. It's better to get three hours of sleep than stay up all night and better to get one hour of sleep than none. Any sleep you can get will help you feel and perform better.
Is no sleep better than 2 hours? ›
The answer to whether it is better to sleep for two hours or not at all is… neither. Staying awake all night poses health risks in the long and short term. As you can see from the stages shown above, you may achieve one cycle of sleep but you won't manage the vital 2 hours of REM sleep your body needs.
How late is too late to nap? ›
Take naps in the early afternoon.
Napping after 3 p.m. can interfere with nighttime sleep. Individual factors, such as your need for sleep, your sleeping schedule, your age and your medication use, also can play a role in determining the best time of day to nap.
When should you not take a nap? ›
Don't nap after 3 p.m. Naps later in the day may mess with your ability to fall asleep at night. Nap in a sleep-friendly environment. Choose a cool, quiet, comfortable place. Remove any bright lights, if possible.
How long is a true nap? ›
What is the optimal length of time for a nap? Naps can be short (15 to 30 minutes) or longer; both short and long naps can increase alertness and be useful. Take into account that sleep becomes deeper the longer you sleep, reaching the deepest level (slow-wave sleep) in about 1 hour.
Will a 45 minute nap make me groggy? ›
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.
What does a 45 minute nap mean? ›
This is a normal, biological process. Your baby's sleep cycles are just 45 minutes long and, at the end of each one, they are in very light sleep. It takes time and practice for them to learn to connect two sleep cycles together.
Is 40 minutes of nap bad for you? ›
Ideally, the nap should last between 20 and 40 minutes to avoid feeling groggy immediately after you wake up. “A quick cat nap should be restorative,” she says. Shorter naps also ensure you don't have trouble falling asleep at night.
How do you get past a 45 minute nap? ›
Put baby down awake: Not drowsy, nor already asleep – awake! This is how your little one will learn to go to sleep and then back to sleep independent of sleep props. 4. Give baby some time: When baby wakes – whether 45 minutes into a nap, or throughout the night – give your little one some time; she might surprise you!
