Have you ever taken what seemed like a delicious nap at the time, only to wake up feeling…off? Did you find yourself tossing and turning at your regular bedtime later on, wondering if the nap was to blame?
You’re not alone — that afternoon slumber could very well be the culprit.
“Napping is a double-edged sword,” says Talar Moukhtarian, an assistant professor in Mental Health at the UK’s Warwick Medical School. “Done right, it’s a powerful way to recharge the brain, improve concentration and support mental and physical health. Done wrong, it can leave you groggy, disoriented and struggling to fall asleep later.”
The difference lies in two essentials: timing and duration. Moukhtarian notes that most people experience a natural dip in alertness in the early afternoon, typically between 1 pm and 4 pm. “Our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, creates cycles of wakefulness and tiredness throughout the day,” she explains, making this the ideal sweet spot for a nap.
Studies suggest that a short nap during this period — ideally followed by bright light exposure — can counteract fatigue and boost alertness without interfering with nighttime sleep.
However, Moukhtarian cautions that a nap should be limited to under half an hour. “Once a nap extends beyond 30 minutes, the brain transitions into slow-wave sleep, making it much harder to wake up.” Continuing this trend can lead to sleep inertia, leaving individuals feeling sluggish for hours.
Dr. Thomas Michael Kilkenny, the director of the Institute of Sleep Medicine at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital, adds, “A short nap of around 20 minutes taken during the siesta period of the day is beneficial for cognition and wakefulness. Anything longer can trigger sleep inertia.”
Importantly, taking a late afternoon nap might make it challenging to fall asleep at your usual bedtime, interfering with your sleep drive.
Dr. Jade Wu, a behavioral sleep medicine specialist, describes this sleep drive as a hunger for sleep that builds up throughout the day. “It’s like a piggy bank — if you’re awake long enough, you’re saving up sleep points for later,” she explains. “Taking a late nap is like having a big lunch at 5 pm and expecting to be hungry at 7 — it doesn’t typically work.”
In summary, while napping can serve as a productivity hack for some, it is not for everyone. With careful planning, one may find the path to effective daytime napping — one that leads to enhanced energy and alertness, ensuring restful nights ahead.”
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