NAPS CAN PROVIDE GREAT BENEFITS. A good nap can boost memory, improve brain performance, and reduce stress. While naps can boost performance, what is the best nap length? Writing on strategic naps in operational settings, NASA scientists offer an answer on how to nap. What do you think is the optimal nap length to improve job performance?
- A. 15 minutes
- B. 26 minutes
- C. 31 minutes
- D. 60 minutes
If you guessed 26 minutes, that’s a bingo! The space agency NASA discovered that pilots who slept in the cockpit for 26 minutes had improvements in alertness of up to 54 percent. Job performance improved by one-third (34 percent) compared to non-napping pilots.
“It took me five minutes of awkward silence to come up with an answer, but upon careful consideration, I told her that my perfect job would entail spending the day in a cushiony room, napping with baby animals. Maybe they had been abandoned by their mothers or left by the side of the road; whatever their situation, it would be my job to keep them company, pet them, and generally give them a warm motherly vibe.
When they wanted to play and roll around on the floor, I would do that with them, and then when they got tired, they could fall asleep in the crook of my arm or snuggled in my blouse. And sometimes I would give them a warm bottle, just like in all the nature specials. But they would definitely have to be baby animals. I wasn’t about to get scratched or nipped or anything — I’m no St. Francis.”
― Samantha Bee, I Know I Am, But What Are You?
Napping benefits
Napping can have a variety of benefits for both physical and mental health. Some of these benefits include:
- Improved alertness and performance. A nap can help to increase alertness and improve cognitive performance, especially in tasks that require attention and concentration.
- Reduced fatigue. A nap can help reduce fatigue and restore energy levels, particularly if you didn’t sleep enough the night before.
- Enhanced memory consolidation. Napping can improve memory consolidation, which can help cement learning and improve recall of information.
- Improved mood. A nap can help improve mood and reduce stress, anxiety, and irritability.
- Lower risk of heart disease. Short naps are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and cardiovascular events. Those napping for longer durations have an increased risk of heart problems, whereas people who took so-called power naps of 15 to 20 minutes had a decreased risk of suffering a heart-related event.
- Improved immune function. Sleep can help to boost the immune system, which can help to reduce the risk of infections and illnesses, according to the Sleep Foundation.
A nap can be a valuable tool for improving overall health and well-being, particularly for those who struggle with sleep deprivation or have high-stress levels.
Napping negatives
On the other hand, regular napping is linked to higher risks for high blood pressure (hypertension) and stroke. According to one study using data from UK Biobank — a large biomedical database with anonymized lifestyle, genetic, and health data from half a million United Kingdom participants:
- Compared to individuals who reported never taking a nap, people who usually nap had a 1.12 times higher likelihood of developing high blood pressure and a 1.24-fold increase in stroke risk;
- Participants younger than 60 who usually napped had a 1.2 times higher chance of getting high blood pressure (hypertension) than people who never napped. After 60, usual napping was linked to a 1.1 times higher risk of high blood pressure than those who reported never napping.
According to sleep expert Michael Grandner, Pj.D., “This may be because, although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night. Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are insufficient to compensate for that.”
Napping can also have negative effects, including the following:
- Sleep inertia. Do you know that feeling of grogginess and disorientation after awakening from a nap? That’s sleep inertia.
- Nighttime sleep problems. Brief naps don’t typically affect nighttime sleep quality for most individuals. However, if you have insomnia or poor sleep quality at night, napping can worsen these problems. Frequent or long naps might interfere with nighttime sleep.
- Worse sleep at night. Sometimes, napping can create a vicious cycle: You sleep during the day to compensate for lost sleep at night. You then have challenges falling asleep at night because of your daytime nap.
NASA provides some answers
Sufficient sleep is central to optimizing our mental health, cognition, immune function, and physical health. But what is the best nap length for work performance?
Researchers at NASA studied naps to ensure that sleep-deprived pilots would not put themselves or their passengers at risk. Here are the findings:
Pilots who slept in the cockpit for 26 minutes showed alertness improvements of up to 54 percent and job performance improvements of 34 percent compared to pilots who didn’t nap.
If you are going to nap, short is often better than long. Unless you can commit 90 minutes (or more) to catch up on last night’s lost sleep, spending more than half an hour in nap time can make it harder to awaken, leaving you groggy.
NASA researchers teach us that a shorter power nap is best. Grab the benefits of a sleep cycle without the grogginess associated with longer nap times. Rest and refresh in just 26 minutes.
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The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
Thank you for reading “NASA: How to Nap to Improve Job Performance.”
