how long should a good nap be to feel rested and not groggy? 20 minutes, 30 minutes.....?

Question

If I take a nap for more than an hour I usually wake up tired, what is the best amount of time to spend sleeping and wake up refreshed?

Answer 1

The benefits of napping have been well documented. Research has shown that a nap can promote physical well-being, improve mood and memory, sharpen senses and revitalize a person. The neurons in brain functioning get to rest and recuperate from the day's stress. Intellectual performance improves from the boost a midday nap provides and accuracy in performance increases too. MRI's of nappers show that brain activity stays high throughout the day with a nap. Without one, it declines as the day wears on.

Research also says that taking a nap of 30 minutes a day is better than sleeping 30 minutes later in the morning. And from another psychological perspective, falling into a light sleep can feel meditative (like my semi-conscious experience). As you nap, the dreams and streams of thoughts you experience may offer insights you may not be able to grasp at night when you are in a deep sleep.

When you sleep under normal circumstances, your brain cycles through several different stages of Delta, Theta, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma sleep waves. You drift from one stage of sleep to another - from light sleep to deeper sleep to REM sleep to wakefulness and so on. Delta and Theta sleep, also known as Sleep I and Sleep II stages, are light stages of sleep. So, the key to napping is to not fall into the deeper stages of sleep. That is why a 15 to 30 minute nap is recommended. Napping more than that, and you'll find yourself waking up cranky or groggy.

The good old catnap has new names, like "The Power Nap", "Powernapping" and "Metronapping". In fact, there is an emerging trend where science fiction-like pods and snoozing suites are popping up in workplaces, universities, and malls.

So, science and psychology say we should embrace the siesta - and not view the snoozing in the middle of the day as being lazy. Napping is not just for the young and the old. It can be a good thing for us all.

Answer 2

It varies from person to person, but most sleep experts recommend between 20-45 minutes.

Answer 3

20 to 30 minutes is sufficient.

Answer 4

its suitable to take 10 minutes. as after 10mins of being asleep you commence to fall in to a good deeper sleep and then you experience worse and extra tierd than you probably did interior the first position. the position as 10mins leaves you feeling refreshed..