REST - Week 4

A Well-Timed Nap Can Be Beneficial and Aromatherapy

Weekly Sleep Topic

Go to Topic

Weekly Integrative Sleep Technique Video

Go to Video

Patient Sleep Resources

Go to Resources

Weekly Sleep Topic

Napping Can Be Beneficial

Naps are not just for children. About one-third of adults in the U.S. take a daily nap. For many residents and fellows, a nap can be a way to refresh and recharge mid-day, especially when you are feeling drowsy and having difficulty concentrating or focusing While you don’t need to nap, many trainees find napping provides positive benefits such as refreshing you to meet the demands of the day, preparing you for when you may be short on sleep (such as when you are post-call or will be on call overnight), and improving your mood and energy levels. Many studies have found that a 20–30-minute nap, taken no later than 4 hours prior to bedtime, reduces daytime sleepiness, as well as boosts learning and performance (always a plus when you are a trainee!) When you are working a night shift, a nap can improve your alertness and reaction times.

How Long Is the “Optimal Nap”?

You may have heard the term “power nap.” Power naps taken in the early afternoon usually last 15 to 20 minutes and can restore and refresh you when you feel a natural decline in energy and wakefulness. NASA tested the effects of power napping on astronauts and found it had an effective boost to performance and alertness. A short nap has benefits! Scientists have found that when people napped around 30 minutes, they had better memory recall and superior overall cognition than both non-nappers and those who napped longer than 30 minutes.

Researchers say a 20-minute nap is the best length. A short nap like this allows your mind and body to rest without entering into deeper stages of sleep. If you have time and a need for a longer sleep, 60 to 90 minutes is enough time to have deep, slow-wave sleep, and still end up in the lighter stages of sleep so you feel alert when you wake up. But 60-90 minutes is not a nap, it is sleep. Medium-length “naps” of around 45 minutes can be problematic because you are likely to wake up during the deepest stage of slow-wave sleep, which will leave you feeling groggy—called “sleep inertia”—when you wake up. So timing and duration are the key to napping!

What If You Don’t Usually Nap?

If you feel like naps throw off your nightly sleep or you don’t feel refreshed after taking one, you might be someone who just does not benefit from a mid-day rest. However, if you feel tired during the day, take a nap for less than 30 minutes and see how you feel.

Other Tips for Napping

Most sleep researchers recommend napping before 2 p.m. when you are working a traditional daytime work-night time sleep schedule, so that your nap has less impact on your nighttime sleep.
Drinking a small amount of caffeine before your nap may help you avoid the groggy feeling of sleep inertia when you wake up from your nap as it takes some time for the caffeine to stimulate your body.
Set an alarm so you don’t nap for more than 20-30 minutes.
Find a cool, quiet, dark place for napping like an on call room, or consider wearing an eye mask and earplugs.

The bottom line is that a short nap can help you recharge during your busy workday when you are drowsy, and at the same time, nap sparingly. If you need or want to nap, do so for no more than 30 minutes (or it is not a true “nap’) and time your nap before 2 PM when you are on a traditional sleep-wake schedule of working during the day and being off work-duty at night. If you tried napping and you’re still feeling tired, re-assess your sleep routine and incorporate some other sleep tips. Or check out this YouTube video for additional tips: