Who doesn’t love a good nap?
Well, that depends—some people swear by them, while others fear it could disrupt their sleep. So, is napping a genius life hack or a snoozy mistake? The truth is, like with anything involving your circadian rhythms, it’s not that simple. Whether a nap works for you depends on your sleep habits, daily schedule, and overall sleep health.
When Napping is Good
Napping can be beneficial if:
✅ You don’t have insomnia. If you sleep well at night, a short nap can boost your energy without disrupting your nighttime rest.
✅ You don’t need to be fully alert immediately after waking up. Some naps hit like a reset button, while others leave you feeling like, ‘Wait, what year is it?’ That’s sleep inertia for you. But hey, if you’ve got time to shake off the grogginess and ease back into reality, a nap can do you some good.
✅ You’re not planning to take a long sleep soon. Naps can be a lifesaver—until they backstab you at bedtime. If you nap too close to your scheduled shut-eye, you might mess with your sleep pressure, that natural wave of tiredness that’s supposed to knock you out at night.
When Napping is Bad
Napping might not be the best idea if:
🚫 You have insomnia and are following CBT-I (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia). Sleep restriction therapy, a key part of CBT-I, limits time in bed to strengthen your sleep drive. Napping can undermine this process.
🚫 You need to be fully alert right after waking up. Longer naps can cause sleep inertia, the grogginess you feel upon waking that temporarily impairs cognitive function.
The Science of Naps: What Research Says
Short naps (10 minutes) are ideal for avoiding grogginess. A study by Brooks & Lack (2006) found that while longer naps can trigger sleep inertia, 10-minute naps allow for quick recovery and don’t delay performance improvements.
Even micro-naps (as short as 6 minutes) can enhance memory and learning. Research by Lahl et al. (2008) discovered that extremely short naps can still provide cognitive benefits, reinforcing the idea that even a quick power nap can be useful.
The Takeaway
Thinking about a nap? Be smart about it. A short snooze (10–20 minutes) can supercharge your memory, focus, and alertness without the dreaded post-nap brain fog. But if you’re already battling insomnia or need to be razor-sharp the second you wake up, maybe skip the midday siesta unless you enjoy feeling like a confused time traveler.
Tired of rolling the dice on your naps? Arcashift’s Nap Planner takes the guesswork out of napping by using your circadian rhythms and schedule to recommend the perfect time for both short and long naps. No more grogginess, no more guessing—just smarter sleep. Give it a try!
Sources
Lahl, O., Wispel, C., Willigens, B., & Pietrowsky, R. (2008). An ultra short episode of sleep is sufficient to promote declarative memory performance. Journal of Sleep Research, 17(1), 3–10. Available at: Wiley Online Library
Brooks, A., & Lack, L. (2006). A brief afternoon nap following nocturnal sleep restriction: Which nap duration is most recuperative? Sleep, 29(6), 831–840. Available at: Oxford Academic
