Nap calculator
A good nap is about timing. Tell us when you're lying down and when you woke up this morning.
The nap that works and the one that backfires
A nap of 10 to 20 minutes keeps you in light sleep. You get up clear-headed, and the boost lasts a couple of hours. In a well-known NASA study, pilots who napped for about 26 minutes in the cockpit were noticeably more alert afterwards than those who didn't.
Push past 30 minutes and you start sinking into deep sleep. Wake up there and you'll feel worse than before you lay down, sometimes for half an hour. That's why the 45 minute option is marked "avoid".
A full 90 minute nap goes through deep sleep and REM and brings you back up to light sleep. It's useful after a night shift or a very short night, but it can make falling asleep at night harder if it's too late in the day.
The Indian afternoon nap, done right
A short rest after lunch is an old habit across India. In Ayurveda it's sometimes called vamakukshi: lying briefly on your left side after a meal. Science agrees with the timing, if not every detail. Your body clock has a natural dip in alertness about six to eight hours after you wake up, which for most people falls between 1 and 3 PM. Lunch makes it a little stronger.
- Keep weekday naps to 20 minutes. Set the alarm before you lie down.
- Lie back in a reclined chair or on the bed, but don't change into night clothes. It tells your brain this is a nap, not bedtime.
- Try a "chai nap": drink a cup of tea or coffee right before a 20 minute nap. Caffeine takes about 20 minutes to kick in, so it arrives just as you wake.
- Avoid naps after 4 PM if you struggle to sleep at night.
Questions people ask
How long should a power nap be?
Ten to twenty minutes of actual sleep. Add the time you usually take to doze off, so if you fall asleep in 10 minutes, set the alarm for 30 minutes after you lie down.
What is the best time to take a nap?
Roughly six to eight hours after you wake up. If you get up at 6:30 AM, that's about 12:30 to 2:30 PM. Napping later than about nine hours after waking can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
Why do I feel worse after a long nap?
You probably woke up during deep sleep. That causes sleep inertia, a heavy, confused feeling that can last 15 to 30 minutes. Keep naps under 20 minutes or extend them to a full 90.
Are naps good for students?
A 20 minute nap after school can improve focus for evening study. A 60 minute nap can help lock in what you learned earlier. But long late-evening naps push bedtime later, which costs more than the nap gives back.
Can a nap replace lost night sleep?
Partly. A nap reduces sleepiness and helps you function, but it doesn't fully replace the deep and REM sleep you'd get at night. Use naps as a top-up, not a substitute.