How Long Is the Perfect Nap?

I am a big fan of naps. As the Mayo Clinic points out, naps aren't for everyone, but I love them. The one good thing about working from home is that I can nap more or less when I like. However, sometimes I feel worse after a nap than before I took the nap. Over time, I've discovered that nap length greatly affects how well I'll feel when I wake up. So how long is the perfect nap?

The Experts Disagree

Granted, I'm not a doctor or medical professional but I read a hell of a lot about naps and sleep. And all I learned from this reading is that there is no agreed-upon length of an ideal nap. For example, the Mayo Clinic recommends naps of 10 - 30 minutes. The Cleveland Clinic recommends 10 - 15 minutes only. In contrast, Dr. James B Maas (and others) authors of Sleep For Success: Everything You Must Know About Sleep But are Too Tired to Ask  (AuthorHouse; 2010) states that you should try naps of either 20 minutes or 90 minutes, arguing that you need to complete the first two stages of sleep in order to get a quality nap.

Your Mileage May Vary

As Sleep for Success points out, the best way to find out what length of nap works for you is through experimentation. And how do you experiment with naps length? Why, by taking naps, of course! Base your findings on naps taken during "normal" days and not when suffering from the flu or when taking any medication that drops you like a dead fly. For me, I need to be in the bed (not necessarily asleep but laying down not moving) for about 90 minutes in the mid to late afternoon.


Broken clock image by Audriusa for Wikimedia Commons.