Power nap

What It Means

A power nap is a brief nap taken during the day, usually 20 minutes or less. Kept that short, it stays in light sleep, which can leave you more alert afterward. A longer nap can slip into deep sleep, and waking from deep sleep brings sleep inertia, the dazed, sluggish feeling right after you get up.

How People Say It

• "I'm grabbing a quick power nap before the kids get home."
• "Wake me in 20 minutes, not an hour."
• "No naps after three or I'll be up all night."

The Breakdown

Signs a short nap could help

• The early afternoon slumpAfternoon slumpThe dip in energy and focus many people feel in the early to mid afternoon, linked to the body's daily hormone rhythm and to what and how much was eaten at lunch. See more has arrived and your focus is gone.
• You slept badly last night and have a long evening ahead.
• There's half an hour free and somewhere quiet to lie down.

Quick self-check before you lie down

1. Is it before 3 p.m.? Naps later in the day can make it harder to sleep at night.
2. Can you keep it to about 20 minutes?
3. Is there an alarm you can set, so you wake before deep sleep sets in?

A no to any of these is a sign to save the sleep for bedtime.

How nap length tends to play out

A way to start. Set a timer for 20 minutes, lie down where nobody will need you, and get up when it rings, even if you feel you could keep going.

Good to Know

Guidance from Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic points to a short nap of about 20 minutes, taken early in the afternoon, since napping after 3 p.m. can make it harder to sleep at night. If you find you need a nap most days even after a full night in bed, mention it to your doctor.

Related Terms and Categories

• Sleep debt

  The running total of sleep you've missed, counted night by night as the hours you need minus the hours you actually slept.

• Afternoon slump

  The dip in energy and focus many people feel in the early to mid afternoon, linked to the body's daily hormone rhythm and to what and how much was eaten at lunch.

• Sleep hygiene

  The everyday habits and bedroom setup that make it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, like a steady wake-up time and a quiet, cool room.

• Circadian rhythm

  The body's roughly 24-hour cycle of physical, mental and behavioral changes, such as sleepiness at night, kept in time by a clock in the brain that follows light.

• Caffeine cutoff

  The time of day after which you stop having caffeine so it doesn't disturb sleep; CDC's NIOSH advises 5 or more hours before you plan to sleep.

• Sleep schedule

  The set times a person goes to bed and gets up each day, planned so they get the hours of sleep recommended for their age.

Wellbeing and habits