Are naps good or bad for sleep?

Understand how naps affect your sleep

If you often wonder, are naps good or bad for sleep, you are not alone. A quick nap can leave you feeling sharp and refreshed. Other times, it can make it harder to fall asleep at night or leave you groggy and out of sorts.

The difference usually comes down to three things:

How long you nap
When you nap
Why you feel the need to nap in the first place

Research shows that well timed, short naps can reduce sleepiness, boost memory, and improve thinking skills for several hours afterward (PubMed, Sleep Foundation). On the other hand, long or late naps can interfere with your regular sleep schedule and may be linked with some health risks in certain groups (Mayo Clinic).

Learn the benefits of short naps

Short, early afternoon naps are where most of the benefits show up. When used thoughtfully, they can support your overall sleep health rather than work against it.

How short naps help your brain

Brief naps of about 5 to 15 minutes can:

Reduce sleepiness almost immediately
Improve attention, reaction time, and decision making
Support learning and memory for the next 1 to 3 hours

These effects have been seen across multiple studies of daytime napping and cognitive performance (PubMed). One proposed explanation is a process sometimes called Process O, where even a very short nap quickly restores activity in wake promoting brain cells and lifts the feeling of fatigue (PubMed).

A mid day nap can also:

Prepare your brain to absorb new information
Help consolidate what you have already learned
Support emotional balance and stress regulation

A 2017 review found that naps can improve executive functioning, memory consolidation, and emotional stability even in people who are already getting enough sleep at night (PMC).

Ideal nap length for most adults

Different nap lengths tend to have different effects:

Around 10 to 20 minutes: Light sleep, quick boost in alertness, minimal grogginess
Up to about 30 minutes: Still mostly light sleep, often the sweet spot for feeling refreshed without feeling off afterward
Around 90 minutes: A full sleep cycle for some people, which may help learning and creativity but is usually more than most people need on a regular day

For most adults, experts suggest that naps of 20 to 30 minutes are ideal for restoring alertness while avoiding heavy grogginess or problems falling asleep at night (Sleep Foundation, Mayo Clinic).

A 90 minute nap can also be helpful in specific situations, such as after a night of very poor sleep or for shift workers, because it allows your body to move through all stages of sleep without waking from the deepest stage (Sleep Foundation).

When naps work with your body clock

Your body naturally dips in alertness in the early afternoon, roughly between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. This makes it the most nap friendly part of the day.

Studies show that naps taken during this window:

Improve alertness and mood
Enhance memory and cognitive performance
Do not usually harm nighttime sleep when kept short

Several sleep health organizations note that early afternoon naps can increase energy and may even help you get as much or more total sleep over 24 hours compared with skipping naps entirely (Sleep Foundation).

For older adults, experts often suggest a similar window, roughly 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., which lines up with age related changes in sleep patterns (Johns Hopkins Medicine).

Know when naps start to backfire

Naps are not automatically good or bad. They become a problem when timing, duration, or underlying health issues get in the way of your natural sleep rhythm.

How long or late naps can hurt nighttime sleep

A nap that is too long or too late can:

Make it harder to fall asleep at your usual bedtime
Lead to a lighter, more fragmented night of sleep
Create a cycle where you feel tired during the day, nap more, and then sleep poorly again that night

Long naps, especially those lasting more than 30 to 60 minutes, are more likely to push you into deeper stages of sleep. Waking from deep sleep can leave you feeling groggy and disoriented, a feeling known as sleep inertia. Studies show that this temporary dip in performance is most noticeable after longer naps that include slow wave sleep (PubMed, PMC).

To avoid disrupting your night, several sources recommend:

Skipping naps after about 3 p.m.
Limiting most naps to about 20 minutes, and no more than 30 minutes for typical use

These habits help keep your natural sleep drive strong at bedtime (Sleep Foundation, Mayo Clinic).

When frequent naps can signal a problem

Napping can be a helpful tool when you occasionally feel tired. But if you find yourself relying on long naps day after day, it may point to something deeper.

Health organizations note that:

Needing naps more often than usual
Feeling tired soon after waking in the morning
Or regularly sleeping more than an hour during the day

can be signs of poor sleep at night or of an underlying medical issue, such as sleep apnea, depression, or another health condition (Mayo Clinic).

Large studies have also linked very long or regular daytime naps with higher risks of:

High blood pressure
Type 2 diabetes
Heart disease
Cognitive decline and shorter lifespan in some older adults

At the same time, researchers point out that long naps may be a consequence of declining health rather than the original cause (Sleep Foundation, PMC, Harvard Health Publishing).

If you are often sleepy during the day or depend on daily naps to get through normal activities, it is worth talking with a health care provider.

Adjust naps for your age and lifestyle

Your ideal nap style can change across your life and depends on what your days look like.

Naps for healthy adults

If you are generally healthy and simply want to feel more alert, a basic approach might look like this:

Length: 10 to 20 minutes most days, up to 30 minutes occasionally
Timing: Early afternoon, ideally between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Frequency: As needed, not as a strict daily requirement

Short naps around this length help you stay in lighter sleep, which makes it easier to wake up clear headed and keep your usual bedtime intact (Sleep Foundation, Harvard Health Publishing).

If you have a night of very poor sleep or work an irregular schedule, a longer 60 to 90 minute nap may help you catch up, as it lets your body move through a full sleep cycle. In that case, try to keep the nap as early as you can in the day.

Naps for older adults

As you get older, your sleep architecture shifts. Nighttime sleep can become lighter and more fragmented, and it is common to feel drowsy during the day. Naps can help, but details matter.

Research in older adults suggests:

Naps between 30 and 90 minutes may be linked with better memory and thinking skills
Naps longer than 90 minutes are more likely to reflect poor quality night sleep and may be associated with worse cognitive outcomes

A study summarized by Johns Hopkins Medicine found that older adults who napped in this moderate range performed better on memory tasks and visual tests compared to those who did not nap or who napped for very long periods (Johns Hopkins Medicine).

However, older adults are also more vulnerable to:

Nighttime sleep disruption from late or lengthy naps
Underlying medical conditions that cause fatigue

For this group, a balanced plan might be:

Keep most naps in the early to mid afternoon
Aim for roughly 20 to 40 minutes on typical days
Use longer naps sparingly and discuss persistent sleepiness with a doctor

Naps for shift workers and irregular schedules

If you work nights or rotating shifts, naps can be an important tool for staying safe and alert.

For many people in this situation:

A planned nap before a night shift
Or a 90 minute nap that covers a full sleep cycle

can help maintain performance without waking in the middle of deep sleep (Sleep Foundation).

Because irregular schedules already strain your body clock, paying attention to consistency, light exposure, and a dark, quiet sleep environment becomes especially important.

Create a nap routine that supports better sleep

With a few small tweaks, you can shape a nap routine that gives you the benefits without sabotaging your nights.

Set simple nap rules

You might find it helpful to set a few personal guidelines, such as:

Cut off time: Avoid napping after about 3 p.m.
Time limit: Set a timer for 20 minutes if you tend to oversleep
Frequency: Ask yourself whether you truly need a nap or if getting to bed earlier would help more

Experts often recommend these types of limits to prevent naps from turning into a hidden cause of insomnia or fragmented sleep (Sleep Foundation, Harvard Health Publishing).

Make your nap environment work for you

Naps do not have to be elaborate. Even a short rest in a reasonably comfortable spot can help. To get the most out of your nap:

Choose a quiet, dim space if possible
Silence your phone or switch it to a do not disturb mode
Use a light blanket or sweater so you stay comfortable but not overheated
Consider a sleep mask or eye covering if light is an issue

Some people simply do not sleep well in the daytime or outside of their own bed. If you usually wake from naps feeling worse, it is fine to focus instead on improving your night sleep and using non sleep breaks during the day, such as a short walk, stretching, or a few minutes of deep breathing (Mayo Clinic).

Pay attention to how naps make you feel

The best evidence in the world still needs to fit your real life. You can experiment with naps and watch for patterns.

Consider tracking, for a week or two:

Whether you napped, and for how long
What time you napped
How you felt afterward, both right away and later that evening
How long it took you to fall asleep that night

If you notice that short naps before mid afternoon leave you feeling sharper without affecting bedtime, they are likely working in your favor. If you see that even quick naps leave you wired at night or craving more naps the next day, you may be better off focusing on a steadier bedtime and wake time instead.

Decide if naps are right for you

So, are naps good or bad for sleep in your situation? The research points to a balanced answer.

Naps tend to be helpful if you:

Keep them short, usually 20 to 30 minutes
Take them in the early afternoon
Use them occasionally to manage a dip in energy or a short night

They are more likely to be unhelpful if you:

Regularly nap for more than an hour
Nap late in the afternoon or evening
Rely on naps every day just to function
Still feel very tired after a full night in bed

If you are unsure, you can start with a simple trial: for the next week, allow yourself one 20 minute nap between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. on days when you feel sleepy, then pay attention to how you sleep that night. If your nights remain solid and you feel more alert in the afternoon, naps are probably working for you. If your nights suffer or your need to nap increases, that is useful information to bring to a health professional.

Listening to your body, respecting your sleep schedule, and using naps as a tool rather than a crutch can help you find the middle ground where both your days and your nights feel more restful.