This Is How Long You Should Nap Every Day to Keep Your Brain Healthy

Fact checked by Nick Blackmer

Key Takeaways

• A new study indicated that regular daytime napping might be able to prevent brain shrinkage as we age.

• Previous research recommends napping between 10 to 30 minutes—and not more than an hour—to improve mood and cognitive performance.

• Longer naps can reduce sleep drive and they've been associated with an increased risk of heart problems and type 2 diabetes.

For some, napping feels like a luxury, but a daily afternoon nap might just be what we need to age well. A new study suggests that daytime napping might prevent our brains from shrinking as we age.

In the study, published in the journal Sleep Health, researchers used self-reported data from 35,080 participants aged 40 to 69 from the U.K. Biobank and examined the genetic variants that were associated with regular napping.

Based on the data, they found a link between habitual daytime napping and larger brain volume. The difference in brain volume between people who nap regularly and those who don’t was equivalent to 2.6 to 6.5 years of aging.

But no association was found between napping and cognitive performance, such as reaction time or visual memory.

“Our brains naturally shrink as we age, but this process is accelerated in people with neurodegenerative diseases but also cognitive decline,” said Valentina Paz, MSc, a co-author of the study and a research and teaching assistant at the University of the Republic of Uruguay.

For this study, Paz and her team used a technique called Mendelian randomization, a method that allows researchers to find if there is a true cause and effect between two variables in an observational study. This was the first study that found an association between regular daytime napping and total brain volume using Mendelian randomization, according to Paz.

Related: The Benefits of Napping

What’s the Optimal Nap Time?

Existing research shows that a brief nap can improve cognitive function and mood. One study found that napping improved orientation, language, and memory skills in people aged above 60.

Naps ranging from 10 to 60 minutes offered immediate improvements in mood and alertness, according to a small study consisting of 32 young adults. A 2021 meta-analysis also suggested that short naps can reduce fatigue, boost productivity, and improve physical performance.

But napping too much could be unhealthy. Previous studies have shown that excessive daytime sleepiness and napping for over 60 minutes might increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart problems.

Previous research suggested that a 10-minute nap was the most effective at improving sleep latency, fatigue, vigor, and cognitive performance, according to Yishan Xu, PhD, DBSM, a board-certified behavioral sleep medicine specialist and the host of a podcast called Deep Into Sleep.

“I often suggest patients not to take a nap longer than 40 minutes,” Xu told Verywell.

Most research shows that naps under 30 minutes hold the best benefits as it’s less likely for people to enter the deep sleep stage or experience sleep inertia, a period of impaired alertness right after waking.

Taking long naps during the day is like “eating a cake before dinner,” Xu said, because it can reduce sleepiness for your actual bedtime and lead to insomnia.

Related: How Much Sleep Do You Need for a Healthy Heart?

How Can You Avoid Napping for Too Long?

If you already struggle with falling asleep, she added, napping might increase sleep anxiety and keep you awake longer.

She recommends setting up an alarm for a nap or asking a family member to wake you up. You can try placing your phone or alarm clock far away so that you have to move to turn it off.

To avoid feeling groggy after a nap, you should stand up right away to wake the body through movement or exposure to light, Xu said. One study also suggests that consuming caffeine before a nap may be the best countermeasure for sleep inertia.

Engaging in physical activities before and after naps can also help promote wakefulness. Sometimes you might feel fatigued because of a variety of reasons, such as stress and nutrition, rather than a lack of sleep, according to Xu. In this case, sleeping more than what your body needs will only worsen your sleep quality at night.

“When my patients complain about daytime fatigue, I suggest they walk around rather than sitting or laying down, then the fatigue may pass, and they could sleep better at night,” Xu said.

Read Next: Tips for Staying Awake When You’re Tired

What This Means For You

Regular daytime napping might help slow down the aging process from natural brain shrinkage. Most research and experts suggest that a short nap—between 10 to 40 minutes—offers the most benefits, such as improved mood, cognitive performance, and alertness.