Is a Nap Good for You and When Should You Take One?

The Spanish have siestas, the Japanese inemuri and the British afternoon naps. It’s common in many cultures to take time for a power nap and there are numerous benefits to doing so. 

In this post, TEMPUR® provides advice on the practice and benefits of napping. Is a nap good for you? Should they be in the afternoon? Find out by reading below.

Naps Can Boost Your Work Performance

A poor night’s sleep can leave you feeling sluggish and seriously impact your cognitive abilities. NASA research found that a short rest can improve alertness by up to 54% and job performance by up to 34%.

Taking a Nap Can Aid Your Immune System

A good night’s rest is vital for producing the hormones and cells that make up your immune system. Regular sleep deprivation can therefore have detrimental effects on your health.

If you have struggled to obtain a full night’s rest, a nap can help. This allows your body time to recuperate and produce white blood cells, which fight disease to keep you healthy.

Napping May Help Prevent Heart Disease

A relatively new area of study, some scientists believe that short power naps can reduce the risks of heart disease. A recent study found that napping reduced inflammation, making people less likely to experience heart-related medical difficulties.

A second study also found that naps could reduce risks of heart disease, but that they must not last longer than 30 minutes. Regular naps of a longer length appeared to increase the risks of heart problems.

The Effects of Different Nap Lengths

10-20 seconds: Known as a ‘nano nap’, it’s debated whether such a short rest period can provide an effective boost of energy. Dropping off quickly or unexpectedly and waking immediately after is probably not providing enough time to produce an effective nap.

2-5 mins: Surprisingly, a short micro nap is quite effective. Providing a quick burst of energy, these can help to fight sluggish feelings and make you feel more awake. If fatigued from a particularly poor night’s sleep, a micro nap may help you through the day.

5-20 minutes: NASA research found naps between 10 and 20 minutes provide impressive boosts to work performance and alertness. This length of nap will benefit your motor learning, memory and performance. This is the ideal nap length, perfect if you are trying to recharge or to complete a task.

Be Careful to Avoid Sleep Inertia

Timing your nap correctly is important to avoid sleep inertia, a feeling of grogginess that sometimes follows a nap. To avoid this, you should ensure your naps last for a maximum of 20 minutes.

Although not fully understood, sleep inertia is thought to result from waking whilst in a deep stage of sleep. This means you should rest for a maximum 10 to 20 minutes when taking a nap. This will allow your brain time to recharge, without it entering the deeper stages of sleep.

Can Naps Be Harmful?

Sleep is vital for maintaining your general health. While occasional napping can be beneficial, it’s not a replacement for a full night’s sleep. Napping should be an intentional supplement to your rest, rather than regularly making up for poor sleep.

If you regularly struggle to sleep well, napping should be avoided. Resting in the day may disturb your sleep pattern further and make it more difficult to doze off at night.

Where Should You Take a Nap?

The ideal place to take a nap is of course in a bed, with a comfortable mattress and pillows. Even if only sleeping for a short period, your body should be properly supported.

If you’re not napping at home, sleeping in a bed may not be possible. Some companies do now provide pods for employees to rest in. Also, for those on the go, some airports and train stations offer similar facilities for a fee. For people without these options, you might consider a travel pillow, so resting comfortably is possible outside your home.

Are you a regular napper? Have you found this TEMPUR® post on napping useful? Why not share with your friends and family using the share buttons below…