How long should your naps be? – Sara C. Mednick

By rjoachim | January 21, 2023
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. 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.
Posted in Natural & Holistic