To Nap or Not to Nap: The Science Behind the Perfect Power Nap
Napping has long been a subject of debate: is it an indulgent waste of time or the secret to unlocking peak performance? Winston Churchill swore by it, declaring that one “must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner. Don’t think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That’s a foolish notion… You will be able to accomplish more." Science now backs this up, revealing that naps can significantly boost energy, sharpen focus, and improve emotion regulation—all without the jitters or dependency of caffeine. Let’s dive into the science and discover why a simple nap might just be the ultimate secret to a well-lived day.
Cognitive Benefits of Napping
A 2013 study revealed a striking finding: medical residents who napped during night shifts performed as well on cognitive tests as their day shift colleagues. Those who skipped the nap, however, were slower, made more mistakes, and felt groggier. If you had to rush your mom to the hospital at night, would you rather get a doctor who got a power nap during their shift, or one who's been up all night?
For the rest of us, too, naps can improve your memory and mental agility. A 2022 meta-analysis by researchers at the National University of Singapore examined 54 studies involving nearly 3,000 participants. Here’s what they found:
Memory: Naps improve both declarative memory (the facts you know, like "George Washington was the first U.S. president") and procedural memory (the skills you know, like shooting a free throw or knitting).
Vigilance and Processing Speed: Naps boost alertness and help you respond more quickly and accurately to stimuli—skills that are invaluable for tasks like driving or solving problems under pressure.
Physical Benefits of Napping
Can naps enhance physical performance, too? The answer is a resounding yes, especially for those who are sleep-deprived. A meta-analysis on athletes found that even a 20-minute nap improved measures like strength, speed, and endurance. For example:
Sleep-deprived weightlifters showed better grip strength and muscle power after a nap.
Sprinters experienced increased speed and decreased fatigue.
Karate practitioners improved jump power and prolonged their time to exhaustion.
Interestingly, the benefits aren’t limited to elite athletes. Regular active adults may see even greater performance boosts from napping—from better runs to more effective strength training sessions—a reminder that naps aren’t just for Olympians but for anyone seeking to stay sharp and energized.
Emotional Benefits of Napping
Emotion regulation may be one of the most important skills we have for functioning and feeling well. (Consider how effective you are as a parent or partner when you're calm and collected versus when you're spiraling inside). Remarkably, napping has been shown to directly improve this critical ability.
For Kids: A study showed that nap-deprived toddlers struggled with problem-solving and were more prone to tantrums. Another found they were drawn to intensely emotional stimuli—both positive and negative—which may explain those rapid mood swings.
For Adults: Harvard researchers found that naps helped college students habituate to negative emotional stimuli, such as distressing images. Importantly, they retained their empathy while feeling less overwhelmed.
Self-Control: Adults who nap are less impulsive, tolerate frustration better, and make more thoughtful decisions—all signs of a well-regulated emotional state.
Are There Any Exceptions to Napping's Benefits?
While the vast majority of studies support napping’s benefits, there are a couple of potential exceptions. For instance:
Ultramarathoners: Longer naps during a 24-hour race correlated with longer finish times, but this was due to the added nap time, not slower running speeds.
Sleep Inertia: One study found a slight performance detriment in sprinters’ fastest 20-meter times after napping, likely due to grogginess from waking up too close to testing.
Getting the Most Out of Napping
There is no doubt that napping is a performance enhancer. The key to reaping the benefits is timing and duration.
Keep it short. Short naps (~30 minutes) can improve performance without causing grogginess, while longer naps will likely cause more sleep inertia and interfere with nighttime sleep.
Keep it early. In most cases, napping midday or early afternoon is the best bet for boosting your afternoon energy without interfering with your nighttime sleep. The worst time to nap is in the evening, when an unintentional doze on the couch will make it harder to sleep well that night and disrupt circadian rhythms.
Keep it consistent. Our biology loves consistency and function best when we keep our day-to-day rhythms predictable. Even if two people nap the same total amount over the course of a week, they may end up with very different outcomes. The one that keeps a routine of napping around the same time for the same duration each day will reap the benefits, while the one who haphazardly naps at unpredictable times may end up with overall worse sleep quality.
So what's the verdict on napping? I would have to agree with Winston Churchill's wisdom. In fact, I'd put it more succinctly and call napping a performance enhancing drug, without the "drug" part. Now go ahead—commit to a New Year's siesta resolution and nap your way to better days.
