A recent study has found that a nap which extends beyond 30 minutes result in waking up feeling worse than before due to ‘sleep inertia’, which is the grogginess and disorientation that comes from waking up during deeper sleep stages.
This occurs because when a person nap exceeds 30 minutes, the brain transitions into slow-wave sleep, and waking during this stage results in the brain and body feeling sluggish for up to an hour, which could have serious implications when performing tasks such as operating machinery.
Naps taken too late in the day also eat away at the body’s natural drive to sleep, making it harder to fall asleep at night.
Naps are most effective when kept between 10 and 20 minutes and the ideal time is before 2 pm.
recognising how and when to take a nap, for example, when a person is experiencing a natural dip in alertness between 1 pm and 4 pm, can give the brain the rest it needs to recharge and improve concentration and mood without interfering with nighttime sleep.
