Embrace The Power Nap

Embrace the Power Nap

 

Go Take a Nap!

You might remember your mom saying these words to you growing up—particularly if you’d just spent the night at a friend’s house from a slumber party. 

“You’re grouchy! You need a nap.” 

But hearing those words as an adult might not go over too well. If you are an anti-napper, you might be interested to know that napping during the day is actually a good idea. In this blog, we will discuss your natural circadian rhythm, the long-term benefits of sleep to your body, and the role napping plays. 

 

Your Natural Circadian Rhythm

Everyone has a different circadian rhythm. Knowing your body’s rhythm is a step in the right direction toward obtaining a good night’s sleep. For the sake of this article, we’ll simplify the types of circadian rhythms into two: lark and owl. 

1.     A lark is an early riser. They pop out of bed, sometimes before the sun rises, full of energy from early morning to early evening. A lark will also lose steam around the time it starts to get dark outside. They are likely to be in bed around 9 p.m.

2.     An owl is, true to the name, a person who picks up more energy as the day goes on and can function late into the evening. An owl who honors their circadian rhythm will stay up late at night and sleep well into the morning. 

Now you may know your natural sleep rhythm is a vital key to getting an optimal night of sleep, but you might be wondering what’s the big deal about how much sleep you get. You do just fine whether you get five hours or seven every day—don’t you? Well… not so fast. The Mayo Clinic suggests adults need at least seven hours of sleep or more each night. Learn more from this article, “Sleep tips: 6 steps to better sleep.”

 

Long-Term Benefits to Sleep

Let’s switch gears and look at the long-term benefits of sleep. Regardless of whether you’re a lark or an owl, sleep doesn’t just determine how alert and how sleepy you feel during the day. A truly good night’s sleep can change everything. Studies show sleep is vital for systems that go deeper than relaxation. 

Here are some body systems that sleep (or lack of sleep) directly affects:

·       Hormone regulation

·       Brain development

·       Body restoration

·       Digestive systems

·       Metabolism and weight

·       Physical and mental health 

It turns out Mom really does know best, and we should have listened to her when she said the best “cure-all” was sleep. Mom also tried to get us to nap regularly, but we didn’t want to do that either. Sleep is one thing, but there are a lot of misconceptions about napping. Especially now that we’re adults.

 

Napping Misconceptions

Let’s be honest. Even if you enjoy an occasional nap or nap regularly as part of your daily routine, you may not want to admit it. The nap has gotten a bad rap in society. To admit you take a nap might open you up for some good-natured ribbing. Napping has been branded as

·       Childish

·       Lazy

·       An indication of health problems

·       A result of overworking

·       A way to hide from the world 

Underneath it all, there are some real misconceptions about napping and those who do it. When we talk about the misconceptions about napping, we don’t mean napping on the job (that’s an actual problem). Here are a few misconceptions:

·       Some believe if you nap in the day, you won’t sleep at night. While sleeping too late in the day can lead to problems sleeping at night, a short nap around 2 or 3 p.m. in the afternoon for ten to twenty minutes can mean the answer to that after-lunch power down. You’ll wake up feeling refreshed, recharged, and ready to finish your day. 

·       Another misconception about napping in the day is your brain won’t be able to function afterward. You’ll be too groggy to finish your work and expected tasks. That one is a little tricky. Sleeping too long (some say over twenty minutes) can lead to sleep inertia—that groggy feeling you experience when you try to wake up but can’t seem to. Commit to getting up when your alarm goes off after ten, fifteen, or twenty minutes to bypass sleep inertia. 

Note: if you take a nap but can’t seem to make yourself get up afterward no matter how many alarms you set, you might consider that your body could be fatigued. You might not be getting enough of a good night’s sleep, or perhaps your body could be fighting off illness. Experiment with the amount of nap time that’s right for you. Common napping times vary, but try a twenty-minute nap to start. If you really want more sleep, go for an hour. But don’t hesitate to have a conversation with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns.

 

Overcome Nap Shame

There isn’t a competition between sleeping and napping—at least there shouldn’t be. Both are created equal and have important benefits if you use them correctly in rhythm with your body. Limiting your nap to under twenty minutes in the early afternoon should work well for you and help, not harm, your chances of a good night’s rest. In fact, there were some pretty notable nappers in our history books, like Ronald Reagan! 

Here's another plug for naps. Getting more sleep doesn’t appear to be a bad thing. According to “Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep,” an article by WebMD, sleeping can be responsible for a

·       Sharper brain

·       Mood boost

·       Healthier heart

·       Athletic achievement

·       Steadier blood sugar level

·       Stronger immune system

·       Regulated appetite

Give yourself grace as you are forming this new, healthy habit of daily napping and learning the best way to fit in a nap in order to make yourself the most productive. According to this article, “How Long Does it Really Take to Create a Habit,” it takes around sixty-six days. This habit will be no different. Napping doesn’t have to be shameful. Leave the shame on the mattress and begin to enjoy a productive, alert, clear-minded finish to your days!

 

Relax… Take a Nap and Be Happy.

Speaking of the mattress, if you’ve tried to form a habit of napping and you’re still having trouble sleeping, maybe it’s time to consider your mattress. Shop all mattresses here: https://www.sleepgallery.biz/product-category/mattress/. The role your mattress plays in getting to sleep and staying asleep is important. But that’s a topic for another day. To read more on napping, visit our other blog that includes napping tips: https://sleepgallery.biz/blog/benefits-of-napping-and-how-to-nap-properly. Today, we want you to relax, take a nap, and be happy with Beautyrest Sleep Gallery.

 

Resources:

“6 Steps to Better Sleep.” Mayo Clinic, 31 Jan. 2025.

Ellis, Rachel Reiff. “Surprising Reasons to Get More Sleep.” WebMD, 13 Aug. 2025.

“The Presidential Rest.” Beautyrest Sleep Gallery, 1 Feb. 20

"Benefits of Napping and How to Nap Properly." Beautyrest Sleep Gallery, 31 Aug. 2021.

Solis-Moreira, Jocelyn. “How Long Does It Really Take to Form a Habit?” Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024.