Learn if naps negatively affect your sleep.
People of all ages take naps throughout the day to catch up on sleep. While all napping is considered beneficial, napping too long can result in a less quality sleep at night, so it’s important to nap earlier in the day and set alarms to ensure you won’t sleep too long.
When To Take Your Nap
Napping in the early afternoon is the best time to nap, as it gives you a boost to finish the rest of your day without impacting your sleep at night. Napping later in the evening is not recommended, as it can result in a restless night of sleep.
How Long To Nap
Short, “power naps” can be beneficial for certain people, by just resting their eyes for ten minutes. However, 20-30 minute naps are considered the perfect nap length, and can even result in improved memory. There is a catch though, as some people do not feel alert after a 30-minute nap. It’s possible you may feel groggy, but you could benefit from improved cognitive performance for a longer period.
Coffee Naps
You may have heard of this trend called a “coffee nap,” when people drink a cup of coffee before their 20-minute nap, and by the time they wake up, the caffeine has kicked in, and they feel more alert. This may bring great benefits for some people, but it’s important only to do this in the early afternoon.
Is It Ever Okay To Nap Longer?
A “full-cycle nap,” or a nap up to 90 minutes, may be just what your body needs if you’re feeling extremely tired one day. The average sleep cycle is 90 minutes, so it’s important to either nap 30 minutes or 90 minutes, to ensure you wake up at a good point in the cycle. An hour and a half long nap allows your body to go into REM sleep, which can make up for lost sleep from the night before.
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