Why short naps work best
A short nap of around 10 to 20 minutes keeps you in light sleep, so you wake up feeling refreshed. Sleep much longer and you start to drop into deep sleep, and waking from that leaves you groggy, a feeling called sleep inertia that can last half an hour or more.
Short naps are well studied. One often-quoted NASA study found that pilots who took a planned nap of around 25 minutes were noticeably more alert afterwards.
How noise helps
The hardest part of napping is falling asleep quickly in the middle of the day, with daylight, voices and traffic around you. A steady noise covers those sounds and gives your mind something plain to settle into, so you drift off faster.
Which noise should you choose?
- Pink noise is soft and even, an easy sound to fall asleep to.
- Brown noise is deeper and blocks out daytime noise like traffic well.
- Green noise is light and natural if you prefer something gentle.
- White noise is the strongest at covering voices, useful if you're napping somewhere busy.
Suggested settings
Open any noise page and use the Sound Controls panel. These are good starting points for a power nap:
How to take a power nap
- Set a separate alarm. The auto-stop timer stops the sound, but silence alone may not wake you. Set an alarm on your phone for 25–30 minutes from now.
- Start your noise and set the auto-stop timer to 30 minutes, with long fades.
- Lie down or recline somewhere dim. An eye mask helps if it's bright.
- Don't worry if you don't fall fully asleep. Resting with your eyes closed still helps.
- When the alarm goes, get up straight away, get some daylight and have a glass of water.
Practical tips
- Nap early in the afternoon. Around 1pm to 3pm suits most people. Napping late in the day can make it harder to sleep at night.
- Keep it consistent. Napping at a similar time each day makes it easier to drop off quickly.
- Some people try a "coffee nap": a coffee just before a 20-minute nap, timed so the caffeine kicks in as you wake. Skip it if caffeine affects your night-time sleep.
Common questions
How long should a power nap be?
About 10 to 20 minutes of sleep. Setting a 30-minute timer allows for the time it takes to fall asleep.
Why do I feel worse after a long nap?
Longer naps let you slip into deep sleep, and waking from it causes grogginess. Keep naps short to avoid it.