Would you ever think that Thomas Edison, Napoleon Bonaparte, Salvador Dali, Winston Churchill, and Presidents Kennedy and Reagan had something in common? In fact, each of them enjoyed a regular nap. 

Many people find that a 20-30 minute nap is restorative, especially during the normal afternoon circadian ‘dip’ that usually occurs between 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Napping can help maintain or even increase alertness and performance, sharpen memory and reduce symptoms of fatigue, especially during long periods of being awake. However, napping, in general, is no substitute for a good night’s sleep, says the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) and Sleep Consultantzzz.

“Naps can help people boost their alertness and performance – IF they are healthy and usually get sufficient sleep at night. But naps will not reverse total sleep debt and shouldn’t be thought of as a substitute for a good night’s sleep,” says Jessica Steintz, an NSF director. “If you get sufficient sleep at night on a regular basis, you should not need a regular daytime nap,”

While napping isn’t a widespread occurrence at U.S. workplaces, one-third of respondents in NSF’s 2000 Sleep in America poll said they would nap at work if it was allowed. An earlier NSF poll found that 38 percent of adults nap at least once during the work week; the average length of these naps was an hour.

Jo Smith, spokesperson for Sleep Consultantzzz recommends a nap of around 30 minutes. “Even a shorter nap can take the edge off of sleepiness but you want to avoid getting into a deep sleep, which can occur after a longer nap of around an hour, causing you to awake groggy instead of feeling refreshed,” she notes. This sleep inertia or grogginess and disorientation that can occur when you awake from a deep sleep usually disappears in l0-l5 minutes, but the accompanying lack of alertness can be critical at the workplace or when engaged in other activities such as driving.

If and when you nap, the National Sleep Foundation offers the following tips:

• Determine an optimal nap time. Try not to nap too late in the day which can disrupt your nighttime sleep. If you are having difficulty sleeping at night, don’t nap during the day.

• Find the right environment. Make the most out of your nap time and avoid surrounding distractions. Find a quiet place, block out light and noise; use an eye mask and/or ear plugs if necessary.

• Be sure to make a good night’s sleep a regular daily activity – on average, between 7-9 hours are recommended for most adults.  Establishing this regular sleep habit may help you kick a nap habit.

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This article was contributed by Phil Willaims of Sleep Consultantzzz  a Community Sleep Awareness Partner of The National Sleep Foundation an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving public health and safety by achieving understanding of sleep, sleep disorders, and by supporting education, sleep-related research, and advocacy.

To learn more visit Sleep Consultantzzz’s website at www.sleepconsultantzzz.com or contact Phil Williams, Sleep Consultantzzz at 704-641-4234.

Editor's Note:    Napping is a topic near and dear to my heart.  For detailed information on sleep science check out Chris Maund's thesis work on sleep at the CHEK Institute.  Dave.