Find the right nap for your time

Power nap planner: get the most from the time you have

Sometimes you do not have an afternoon. You have 25 minutes before a meeting, or 40 minutes on a break between shifts. The power nap planner starts from the time you have, subtracts the minutes needed to drift off and to wake up properly, and recommends the nap length that makes the most of it. It then starts a timer with a soft chime so you do not need to watch the clock.

A power nap is a short sleep taken to restore alertness: usually 10 to 20 minutes, sometimes up to 30. It is popular with students, drivers, people on night shifts and anyone who suffers an afternoon slump. Used well, it can improve focus and mood. Used badly, it leaves you sleepier than before, which is why the planner helps with timing and length.

How the planner picks your nap

Enter how much time you have. The planner reserves around 10 minutes to fall asleep and a few minutes to wake up, then compares the remaining time with the useful nap lengths. If you have under 30 minutes it recommends a short nap of around 15 to 20 minutes. If you have about 100 minutes it suggests a full 90-minute cycle. In between it advises resting rather than sleeping into deep sleep, because a 45-minute nap often does more harm than good.

Why short naps work

When you first fall asleep you pass through light stage 1 and 2 sleep. During these stages the brain begins clearing the tiredness that builds up during the day, yet you can still be woken easily. After about 30 minutes you are more likely to enter deep sleep, which is harder to wake from. A 20-minute limit therefore gives most of the benefit with the smallest penalty. Research on short naps shows benefits for alertness, reaction time and mood, although how big the effect is varies between people.

Making a power nap easier

Find somewhere dim and cool, use an eye mask if needed, and put your phone on do not disturb apart from your timer. Lie down if you can, but a reclined chair is fine. Do not worry about falling asleep; resting with your eyes closed for the same period still lowers stress. If your mind races, the breathing guide or a few minutes of the body scan can help you settle, and a low fan or rain mix from the sleep sound mixer can cover background noise.

When not to nap

Skip naps within about six hours of bedtime if you notice them affecting your night. Do not nap when you are driving or operating machinery; if you feel drowsy at the wheel, pull over somewhere safe. If you need a nap every day, ask whether your night sleep is long enough. The sleep debt calculator shows how much sleep you are short across the week, and that number often explains the afternoon slump better than anything else.

Power naps for shift workers, students and parents

Night-shift workers often use a short nap before the shift starts and another during a break, which can reduce errors late at night. Students find a nap after study sessions helpful, and the exam week planner includes protected sleep alongside study blocks. New parents may grab a nap whenever the baby sleeps, and the new parent night planner helps split the night so each person also gets one longer block.

How power naps relate to sleep tracking

A watch or ring may record your nap as a separate sleep session, but short naps are among the things trackers measure least reliably. Use the data as a rough guide. What matters more is how you feel when you wake and how you sleep that night. If you are curious about devices that track naps, see our overview of the best sleep tracker options.

A simple power nap routine

Set the planner, lie down within two minutes and close your eyes. Breathe slowly, and when your mind wanders, return to your breathing. When the chime sounds, sit up, drink a glass of water and get some light on your face. Wait a couple of minutes before you do anything that needs precision. With practice, the routine itself becomes a cue that helps you drift off quickly.

The science of the 20-minute nap

A famous NASA study of tired pilots found that a 26-minute nap improved performance by about a third and alertness by more than half compared with no nap. The pilots in that study were sleep-deprived, so the gain is larger than you would see in someone who has slept well. Even so, it shows what a short nap can do when you need it, and why many organisations that depend on alertness encourage them.

Worked example: 40 minutes before a meeting

You have 40 minutes. The planner keeps about 10 minutes to drift off and 5 for waking, so the useful sleep window is around 25 minutes. It recommends setting the timer for 20 minutes of sleep, which means a total of 30 minutes including falling asleep, with 10 minutes for a drink of water and some light before the meeting. That is more effective than trying to squeeze in a 40-minute nap that ends in deep sleep.

Power naps and driving

Drowsy driving causes many serious crashes. If you feel sleepy on a journey, stop somewhere safe, drink a coffee and take a 15 to 20 minute nap before continuing. Opening the window or turning up the radio is not enough. For long trips, plan stops every couple of hours and share the driving.

Frequently asked questions