Science says: this is how long the ideal power nap lasts

Power napping: you can do it, or you can't. I must honestly say that my talent does not lie in this. There are times when I really can't keep my eyes open and accidentally fall asleep in broad daylight, but the state in which I wake up afterwards is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Think: sweaty, hungry, nauseous, completely confused, and uncertain about what year we are actually living in. Nothing relaxing about that. Yet a power nap can give you just that little push you need to successfully complete the day (or night). If you approach it smartly, the ideal power nap actually lasts a lot shorter than you would expect.

The National Sleep Foundation researched this issue for us and concluded that the perfect nap lasts only 20 minutes and that this catnap can ensure that you can finish your day feeling refreshed and with renewed energy. Power naps of 25, 35, or 45 minutes can help reduce your stress, but they also carry the risk of you snoring for too long.

Where it varies from person to person, after about 30 minutes you actually go too far into your sleep cycle, which means you are sleeping very deeply. If you are then roughly pulled out of your sleep by an alarm clock or an irritated housemate, it’s not strange if you have to spend the rest of your day in a state of complete confusion.

If you do it right, power naps can bring many benefits. For example, regular napping helps improve cognitive performance, short-term memory, and your mood, reduces fatigue, and stimulates athletic performance. So never let anyone tell you that you sleep too much: you are actually very healthy.

Source: Medical News Today