This article will discuss how long is a productive nap for adults and children, the characteristics of a successful nap, and why nap-taking can be beneficial to your daily productivity levels.
If you’re like me, you have an internal clock that gently pushes you awake or gently pushes you back to sleep every morning between 9 AM and 10 AM. This means that if you’re running late to work, have an early flight to catch, or you have a long commute and have to work from home; you might be wondering: How long can I actually nap for?
In my case, the internal clock was such a force that I could nap for about 45 minutes without ever really realizing it. I would wake up from the deepest, most restful sleep and rush to get ready for the day.
However, many people can’t take the recommended nap for 45 minutes or even an hour without interruption because they have to get up to take care of a baby or child or some other reason that necessitates waking up. And if you’re like me, you can’t put yourself back to sleep.
You wake up in the middle of the nap, only to lay awake in bed for hours before you can actually fall back asleep and start the whole cycle over again.
So for these people, let’s talk about how long is a productive nap, what’s normal, and what happens if you don’t nap correctly.
What is a productive nap?
A healthy nap will get you about 90 minutes of deep, slow-wave sleep, which will make you feel more refreshed and alert in the short term.
A healthy nap will help you start out feeling more awake and alert in the short term and then gradually ease you into a state of deep sleep that’s conducive to longer sleep and even deeper states of rest.
A 15-minute nap, on the other hand, will give you a little rest and won’t help with getting to sleep and falling back asleep more easily.
What’s the difference between a productive nap and a napping nightmare?
It cannot be obvious to know exactly what a nap is or is not, especially if you only do short naps throughout the day (an example of a not-so-productive nap).
It’s a good idea to be vigilant about the kind of nap you take when you don’t get enough sleep.
If you’re taking a long nap to avoid getting up in the morning, this is a bad idea. But you can take a 15-minute nap without ruining your sleep habits.
Just take it easy and don’t be in a rush.
The good news is that the bad nap is a lot less likely to cause damage than the excessive or inappropriate nap.
Many scientists believe that a well-designed, limited nap will help people sleep better at night. However, if you do take a nap that’s too long or too intense, you might end up feeling groggy and less refreshed in the afternoon.
Some people take three 90-minute naps a day, but for most healthy adults, this will be excessive and lead to excessive sleepiness and headaches.
What’s the best type of nap?
Personally, I like naps that last 15 to 30 minutes, but there is no right or wrong way to nap.
I highly recommend that people get up at least 30 minutes early to recharge and regenerate before they go to sleep, but many people can go for an extended sleep if they so choose.
If you take a 45-minute nap, and then you get out of bed, you’ll have to spend another 45 minutes recharging your body and your brain. That’s an awfully long nap!
If you take a 30-minute nap, you’ll have just enough time to leave the house, exercise for a bit, have a light lunch, come home, and be in bed by a reasonable bedtime of 11 PM or midnight, which is still a decent hour of sleep.
Read on for five signs that you’re taking too long of a nap.
5 signs that you’re taking too long of a nap
You don’t finish
Napping is supposed to be a restorative activity. If you don’t get up and get ready for bed before you take a nap, then you’re going to spend too much time in the nap state.
You won’t actually be recharging your brain and body.
If you don’t start to feel sleepy after a long nap, you’re going to spend too much time in a sleep state, and this will delay your return to a deeper sleep and even make you feel more groggy in the afternoon.
You go to sleep too early
If you get out of bed too soon after a nap, then you’re going to feel extra groggy when you do go to bed later that night. And you may have trouble getting to sleep for the first hour or two.
Take your naps on time, and you can get in a deep sleep state and wake up feeling refreshed.
You don’t finish a productive nap
If you get up from a 15-minute nap feeling fully energized and ready to go, then you’re not getting a good nap.
A good nap is a productive nap. If you are wide awake from your 15-minute nap and can’t think of anything productive to do with your time, you’re not taking a perfect nap.
You take a longer nap than necessary
For a productive nap, you should aim for an hour or more. If you only take 30 minutes and still feel totally groggy and tired in the afternoon, you don’t have a productive nap.
If you’re groggy and tired in the afternoon, then you probably took a nap too long.
You take a nap that’s too intense
The ideal nap allows you to complete a task while you’re asleep. If you are taking a 45-minute nap and you get up feeling like you didn’t get any real rest and you don’t have any energy left, then you don’t have a good nap.
Your sleep is essential for your health, and you must nap on time and take a full, satisfying nap that lasts for 45 minutes or more.
When you’re asleep, your body does several important things, such as cleaning your organs, repairing your skin and muscles, and transferring oxygen to your tissues.
If you’re taking a snooze that’s not a good one, then you’re not allowing your body to repair and rejuvenate.
If you take a nap that lasts for only 15 minutes and you feel exhausted, you will not get a good nap.
Conclusion
Your brain will need a little time to recharge, and your body will need a bit of time to repair and rejuvenate, but if you’re not taking a nap that lasts an hour or more, then you’re not giving your body enough time to get the restorative benefits that a good nap will give you.
Remember, you only have one body and one mind. So when you take a nap, do it right.
Take a nap that will help you recharge and get more accomplished when you wake up.
Your body and brain will thank you.
