How Long Should a Nap Be? Power Naps, Coffee Naps and Timing

For most adults, the ideal nap is short: about 10 to 20 minutes, taken in the early afternoon. In a lab study of naps after a short night, a 10-minute nap improved alertness and performance straight away, with some benefits lasting up to 155 minutes, while a 30-minute nap left people groggy at first (Brooks and Lack, 2006). Naps under 30 minutes bring the benefits without the heavy grogginess of longer ones (Dhand and Sohal, 2006). This guide covers how long you should nap, what a power nap is, how a coffee nap works, the best time to nap, and when needing naps is worth a doctor's visit.

It is educational, not medical advice.

Key Takeaways

• Best length: 10 minutes was the most effective nap overall in a study comparing 5, 10, 20 and 30 minutes (Brooks and Lack, 2006).
• Keep it under 30 minutes: longer naps are linked to grogginess, called sleep inertia, and lost productivity (Dhand and Sohal, 2006).
• Coffee naps: 200 mg of caffeine taken just before a 20-minute nap was the most effective option against afternoon sleepiness in one study (Hayashi and colleagues, 2003).
• Nap early: long daytime naps can make it harder to sleep at night (CDC).

A nap moves through the same stages as a night of sleep, starting with light sleep before deep sleep; our guide to the stages of sleep explains each one.

How Long Should a Nap Be?

In a well-known study, 24 healthy young adults slept about 5 hours at night, then took an afternoon nap at 3 PM of exactly 5, 10, 20 or 30 minutes, or no nap (Brooks and Lack, 2006):

Nap length	What happened
5 minutes	Few benefits compared with no nap
10 minutes	Immediate improvements in sleepiness, fatigue, vigor and performance, some lasting up to 155 minutes
20 minutes	Improvements started about 35 minutes after waking and lasted up to 125 minutes
30 minutes	A period of grogginess and poorer performance first, then improvements lasting up to 155 minutes

The researchers concluded that the 10-minute nap was the most effective overall (Brooks and Lack, 2006). A review of daytime naps in healthy adults reached a similar view: naps as short as 10 minutes improve performance, and naps under 30 minutes bring several benefits (Dhand and Sohal, 2006).

What Is a Power Nap?

A power nap is simply a short nap, usually 10 to 20 minutes, meant to restore alertness without leaving you groggy. Short naps help because you wake before falling into deep sleep. Waking from deep sleep is one of the main reasons grogginess is worse (Hilditch and McHill, 2019). Our guide to how much deep sleep you need explains the sleep stages.

What Is a Coffee Nap?

A coffee nap, or caffeine nap, means having caffeine right before a short nap. The idea is that you wake as the caffeine starts to work, so it can offset any grogginess. The research supports the combination:

• Afternoon sleepiness: in 10 young adults, 200 mg of caffeine followed by a 20-minute nap was the most effective option for sleepiness and performance, with effects lasting the full hour after the nap (Hayashi and colleagues, 2003).
• Sleepy drivers: in a driving simulator, 200 mg of caffeine plus a nap of under 15 minutes cut driving incidents to 9% of placebo levels, compared with 34% for caffeine alone (Reyner and Horne, 1997).
• Reviews: caffeine taken before a nap of about 20 minutes is one of the best-supported ways to reduce grogginess after napping (Hilditch and McHill, 2019).

Keep the coffee nap early in the afternoon so the caffeine does not cut into your night's sleep, and keep your daily total moderate. Our guide to the caffeine crash covers caffeine timing and limits.

When Is the Best Time to Nap?

Early afternoon is the usual sweet spot; the studies above used naps at 12:40 PM and 3 PM (Hayashi and colleagues, 2003; Brooks and Lack, 2006). Avoid long or late naps, since longer daytime naps can make it harder to fall asleep at night (CDC). If you feel drowsy while driving, pull over somewhere safe; a short nap with caffeine helped sleepy drivers in a simulator (Reyner and Horne, 1997), but it is not a substitute for a full night's sleep.

If you need to get through the rest of the day, our guide to how to stay awake pairs a short nap with caffeine, light and movement.

Why Do I Wake Up Groggy From a Nap?

That heavy, foggy feeling is sleep inertia. It is worse when you wake from deep sleep, when you are short on sleep, and when you wake at the wrong biological time (Hilditch and McHill, 2019). Longer naps make it more likely, which is why naps over 30 minutes are linked to grogginess and lost productivity (Dhand and Sohal, 2006). Our guide to how to wake up when you are tired covers sleep inertia in more detail.

How to Take a Better Nap

• Set an alarm for 10 to 20 minutes after you lie down, plus a few minutes to drift off.
• Make it dark and quiet: an eye mask and earplugs help in an office or on the go.
• Do not worry if you do not fall asleep: in the driving study, naps that were only light dozing still worked (Reyner and Horne, 1997).
• Try a rest instead: if you cannot nap, our guide to non-sleep deep rest is a structured alternative.
• Give yourself a few minutes after waking before driving or anything demanding.

If your nap urge always comes after lunch, our guide to why you feel tired after eating explains the post-lunch dip and how to ease it.

Is It Healthy to Nap Every Day?

A short daily nap is fine for most people. A review noted that frequent and longer naps have been linked to adverse long-term health effects in population studies (Dhand and Sohal, 2006), and needing a nap every day can be a sign that your nights are too short. Adults need 7 or more hours of sleep (CDC); see how to fall asleep fast if nights are the problem, and our jet lag guide for napping after a flight.

Where Our Products Fit

If your afternoon includes coffee or tea, our Theanine Nasal Spray provides 36 mg of L-theanine per two-spray serving and contains no caffeine. Our guide to L-theanine and caffeine covers what research shows for the pairing, and our L-theanine ingredient page explains the science. For a daily routine that does not rely on more caffeine, the Energy Stack combines NAD+ Nasal Spray, Forage and Methyl B-12 Nasal Spray. See also our sleep health hub and our non-stimulant energy and focus hub.

When to See a Doctor

See a doctor if you need a nap most days despite 7 or more hours of sleep, if you fall asleep without meaning to, if you snore loudly or someone notices you stop breathing in your sleep, or if sleepiness affects driving, work or safety.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I nap?

About 10 to 20 minutes for most adults. In one study, a 10-minute nap was the most effective overall (Brooks and Lack, 2006).

How long should a power nap be?

Usually 10 to 20 minutes. Naps under 30 minutes bring benefits without heavy grogginess (Dhand and Sohal, 2006).

Is a 30-minute nap too long?

It can leave you groggy at first. In a lab study, a 30-minute nap caused a period of impaired alertness before improvements began (Brooks and Lack, 2006).

What is a coffee nap?

Having caffeine right before a short nap. In one study, 200 mg of caffeine followed by a 20-minute nap was the most effective option against afternoon sleepiness (Hayashi and colleagues, 2003).

Do coffee naps work?

Research supports them: caffeine plus a short nap reduced sleepiness more than either alone in sleepy drivers (Reyner and Horne, 1997).

What is the best time to take a nap?

Early afternoon. Long or late naps can make it harder to sleep at night (CDC).

Why do I feel worse after a nap?

Sleep inertia. Waking from deep sleep, common in longer naps, makes grogginess worse (Hilditch and McHill, 2019).

Is it bad to nap every day?

A short nap is fine for most people, but frequent long naps have been linked to adverse long-term health effects in population studies (Dhand and Sohal, 2006).

Sources

• Brooks A, Lack L. A brief afternoon nap following nocturnal sleep restriction: which nap duration is most recuperative? Sleep. 2006. PubMed 16796222
• Dhand R, Sohal H. Good sleep, bad sleep! The role of daytime naps in healthy adults. Curr Opin Pulm Med. 2006. PubMed 17053484
• Hayashi M, Masuda A, Hori T. The alerting effects of caffeine, bright light and face washing after a short daytime nap. Clin Neurophysiol. 2003. PubMed 14652086
• Reyner LA, Horne JA. Suppression of sleepiness in drivers: combination of caffeine with a short nap. Psychophysiology. 1997. PubMed 9401427
• Hilditch CJ, McHill AW. Sleep inertia: current insights. Nat Sci Sleep. 2019. PubMed 31692489
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Jet Lag Disorder. CDC Yellow Book. CDC
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Sleep. CDC

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This content is for education and is not medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Talk with a healthcare provider before starting a new supplement if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or taking medication.