Before we answer this question, we gotta ask you why you’re napping in the first place. How long you should nap depends on your goals.
Do you need an energy boost? Do you need a brain boost to tackle a difficult work task? Are you sleep-deprived from the night before?
Here’s a brief look at the different nap durations:
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Power naps or 20-minute snoozes let you wake up feeling refreshed and alert without hurting your sleep at night.
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While they say power naps can last max 30 minutes, it’s possible that you’ll wake up groggy because of the onset of deep sleep.
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Hour-long naps may strengthen your ability to remember and retain info. But word of warning: it might lead to sleep inertia.
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90-minute naps let you cycle through all sleep stages without causing sleep inertia.
Power naps are good if you need to be more alert and energetic. It may help put you in a better mood. You’ll feel more productive and less prone to mistakes or accidents.
Meanwhile, longer snoozes of 60 to 90 minutes let your body enter the deep sleep phase. This nap length may improve memory and your problem-solving skills. Your creativity gets a boost, too.
For healthy adults, the best nap length is either 20 minutes or 90 minutes. However, the optimal nap length varies based on your age. For example, 1 to 3-year-olds need to nap once in the afternoon for 1 to 3 hours. And some research says an hour-long snooze is recommended for seniors, according to Healthline(1).
So, what’s the secret to the best napping length?
Understanding your body and sleep needs is key. Try experimenting with different nap lengths to find out what works. Remember that you want to snooze long enough to reap its benefits without waking up groggy. You also want a nap length that won’t make it hard to fall asleep in the nighttime.
To summarize, short naps usually won’t mess with your nighttime sleep. Why? Your body won’t enter deep sleep stages. However, long naps can if taken late in the day.
Keep in mind, too, that it’s not just the duration of the nap that counts. Timing and conditions are just as important. And like the different snooze lengths, there are also various kinds of naps.
Let’s find out what they are in the next section.
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