Power Nap: How To Take It and Why It's Good For You

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Have you ever experienced the need to take an afternoon nap after lunch? This is common! In Japan, office workers are known to take daytime naps. Even big companies like Google have sleep pods for their employees to take a power nap during the working day.

The question here is: does it really work?

Let’s explore further about power nap, how to do it, and why it is good for us to take them once in a while.

Key Takeaways

A power nap is a short period of sleep that lasts between 20 to 30 minutes.

It can be good for those who are recovering from sleep deprivation or for those who need to feel refreshed to get through the day.

Power naps prevent the risk of getting sleep inertia, a feeling of grogginess when you wake up.

Those who have difficulty falling asleep or have insomnia should not take power naps.

Some practices to ensure a proper napping experience include setting an alarm, creating an optimal sleep environment, avoiding napping too late, and taking a caffeine nap.

What Is Power Nap?

A power nap, also known as a cat nap, is a brief period of sleep that lasts between 20 to 30 minutes [1]. It usually happens during the lighter stages of sleep, just before deep sleep [2].

Power naps are meant to help someone who is tired, feel refreshed and energized quickly. It works as an alternative to coffee and other forms of caffeine if you happen to feel sluggish in the later parts of the workday or if you find it hard to stay alert.

Health Benefits of Power Nap

Do power naps actually work?

The short answer is yes. In the short term, research shows that power naps can work to boost cognitive functioning and energy levels.

Additionally, because they are short naps, they do not go into slow-wave sleep or rem sleep stage in the sleep cycle. This prevents the risk of sleep inertia, the groggy feeling that you get when you wake up from a deep sleep [3].

Some other benefits of napping include:

Improved alertness and performance [4]
Higher stress resilience, especially among shift workers [5]
Boosts our total brain volume [6]
Reduces the effects of sleep deprivation [7]

Who Should Take Power Naps?

While there are clear health benefits to taking power naps, it should also be clear that power naps are not suitable for everyone.

If you need to recharge yourself so that you can get through the day, taking a power nap is fine. It can also be particularly useful for someone who does not get enough sleep during the night and needs to recoup from the sleep loss [8].

However, if you suffer from sleep disorders like insomnia, you want to do your best to avoid taking naps during the daytime. Taking afternoon naps could make it even harder than what it is now, for you to fall asleep.

You may also like: Difference Between a Nap and a Full Night’s Sleep

How To Take a Proper Power Nap?

When it comes to taking a proper power nap, it is important to ensure that you do not exceed 20 to 30 minutes. Otherwise, you are likely to experience a full sleep cycle.

Here are some practices that you can follow for a good napping experience:

Set an alarm: If you are certain that it will be hard for you to get up naturally, set an alarm that will wake you up after 20 to 30 minutes. This will ensure that you do not oversleep.
Create a calm sleep environment: Find a quiet and dark location where you will not be disturbed. Try playing some sleep sounds or use a sleep mask to help you get to bed better.
Avoid napping too late in the day: It is best to take a nap before or after a post-lunch slump, between 12:30 pm to 2 pm.
Try a caffeine nap: This practice involves consuming caffeine just before you take your nap. It takes about 20 to 30 minutes for the effects of caffeine to kick in. So, you are likely to wake up from a light sleep easily after a certain time.

Conclusion

All in all, power napping can be beneficial in improving alertness and performance, increasing our stress resilience, boosting our brain volume, and reducing the effects of sleep deprivation. However, it is not meant for everyone, especially those with trouble sleeping at night.

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FAQ

A power nap is usually a short period of sleep that lasts between 20 to 30 minutes.

Yes, power naps work to help you function better and maintain alertness during the daytime. It also reduces the effects of sleep deprivation and increases our brain's total volume, improving our overall health.

1-hour power naps are not ideal. Keep your naps short to prevent having your sleep schedule disrupted.

The 30-90 rule is a guideline for taking proper naps without feeling drowsy or groggy after. The rule states that you should keep to a 30-minute nap maximum. However, if you happen to go beyond that, your nap should be at least 90 minutes long.

About authors

Jessica Brown

Author

Jessica Brown, a 29-year-old freelance copywriter passionate about human nature and deeply committed to promoting sleep and mental health awareness. Jessica holds a Master of Arts in Literary Studies from the National University of Singapore and a Bachelor's in Biology from the University of Cambridge.

Meet our author

Siti Amirah

Reviewer

Amirah is a content writer passionate about topics related to mental health and wellness. Recently, she delved into the realm of sleep health, spurred by a personal recognition of her subpar sleep habits and a desire for improvement. Amirah holds a Bachelor’s Degree in International Communication Studies from the University of Nottingham.

Meet our author

Ackerman, J. (2009) Napping: the expert's guide [online]. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/jan/27/napping-guide-health-wellbeing

Faraut, B., Nakib, S., Drogou, C., Elbaz, M., Sauvet, F., De Bandt, J. P., & Léger, D. (2015). Napping reverses the salivary interleukin-6 and urinary norepinephrine changes induced by sleep restriction. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 100(3), E416–E426. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2014-2566

Hsu, S. (2023) The science behind power napping and work productivity [online]. Available at: https://choosemuse.com/blogs/news/the-science-behind-power-napping-and-work-productivity

Michigan Medicine (2020) Power naps: What they are, and how they boost your energy [online]. Available at: https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/psychiatry/news/archive/202011/power-naps-what-they-are-how-they-boost-your-energy

Oriyama, S., Miyakoshi, Y., & Kobayashi, T. (2014). Effects of two 15-min naps on the subjective sleepiness, fatigue and heart rate variability of night shift nurses. Industrial health, 52(1), 25–35. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2486/indhealth.2013-0043

Paz, V., Dashti, H. S., & Garfield, V. (2023). Is there an association between daytime napping, cognitive function, and brain volume? A Mendelian randomization study in the UK Biobank. Sleep Health, 9(5), 786–793. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2023.05.002

Precker, M. (2020) Enjoy your nap, but be aware of the pros and cons [online]. Available at: https://www.heart.org/en/news/2020/07/22/enjoy-your-nap-but-be-aware-of-the-pros-and-cons

Tollsen, M. (2024) How To Power Nap for Energy & Daytime Success [online]. Available at: https://amerisleep.com/blog/power-nap/

References