The perfect nap is short and sweet

Three types of naps

Being reductionists, we humans have determined that there are three types of nap: the emergency nap (just a few minutes), the restorative nap (between 30 and 60 minutes), and the donkey nap (an hour or more; the one where you wake up and don't even know what year it is).

The perfect nap

However, the question many people ask is: How long should the ideal nap last? According to NASA, the perfect nap is 14.4 minutes, but to keep it simple, the space agency pegged it at between 10 and 20 minutes.

10 to 20 minutes

NASA's explanation is straightforward. They divided sleep into five phases, and assumed that sleeping through the first phase, which covers the first 10 minutes, or through the second, which lasts up to 20 minutes, was enough to regain enough energy to power us through to bedtime.

The longer the siesta, the worse the drowsiness

In fact, among astronauts tested in the study, they found that those who slept for up to 26 minutes woke up drowsy, so the immediate benefit of their nap faded if they went beyond the stipulated time.

Preserving sleep at night

On the one hand, the nap should be just long enough to restore vitality, and on the other, it should not be overdone so as not to disrupt the usual sleep pattern and cause disturbances in night sleep.

Photo: Max Bohme

What time is best to take a nap?

To avoid interfering with our night sleep, the NASA study, published by Business Insider, also recommends taking a nap between 12:00 and 4:00 p.m.

Where to take a nap?

As for where to take a nap, the Spanish Heart Foundation explained it clearly: "A comfortable place, with a pleasant temperature, a quiet atmosphere, minimal noise, and low light."

Photo: Alexander Grey

A dying tradition

In Spain, which is considered the home of the siesta (a short nap), the reality is that only 16.2% of the population can afford to take a daily nap, as noted by the Spanish Bed Association (Asocama).

The benefits of napping

Among a nap's many benefits is improved memory, as stated in the study "An ultra-short episode of sleep is sufficient to promote declarative memory performance."

Good for stress, concentration and the heart

Furthermore, according to the Spanish Heart Foundation, siestas reduce stress by a third, minimize the risk of cardiovascular disease, increase concentration, and improve mood.