June 20, 2025
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Taking a nap can boost performance, improve mood and increase alertness. But timing is everything, sleep experts say.
A siesta may sound tantalizing while sitting in front of the computer after lunch. And while most people can't crawl under their desks at work for a quick snooze, napping has many health benefits.
Research shows napping can make up for lost sleep, boost cardiovascular health, help lower blood pressure, increase alertness and improve mood.
But napping also can backfire.
Napping too long can lead to daytime grogginess and insomnia at night. Lengthy siestas also have been linked to obesity and metabolic syndrome and death from any cause.
Also, though research has found an association between planned naps and improved memory, unplanned naps – especially if they are long – may be detrimental to cognition.
To reap the health benefits of a daily siesta, it's important to follow some basic guidelines:
Pretty much all research on napping shows that keeping naps short is key. The sweet spot is somewhere between 20 and 40 minutes. Napping longer than that can cause sleep inertia – a fancy word for grogginess – which can impact performance after waking up.
Time naps for the early afternoon, ideally between 1-3 p.m., sleep experts agree. Sleeping after 3 p.m. can disrupt natural sleep-wake cycles and cause insomnia at night. One way to figure out when to nap is to count back seven hours from bedtime: For instance, someone who goes to bed at 10 p.m. should nap no later than 3 p.m.
Choose a cool, peaceful space for an afternoon nap. Sleep experts recommend drawing the curtains or shades and keeping the room temperature at 72 degrees or lower to get the most beneficial rest.
A counter-intuitive hack: Drink a cup of coffee or caffeinated tea before taking a nap. Caffeine will clear out a chemical that builds up in the body during the day, causing sleepiness. A shot of caffeine before a nap improves alertness upon waking.
Excessive daytime sleepiness or an overpowering need to nap may be a sign of a mental health disorder or a physical problem. People who have trouble getting enough sleep at night or those who struggle to stay awake during the day should talk to a health care provider.
