It can provide an easy way to get some relaxation and rejuvenation. The best nap length in most situations is one that is long enough to be refreshing but not so long that sleep inertia occurs. Naps lasting 10 to 20 minutes are considered the ideal length. They are sometimes referred to as “power naps” because they provide recovery benefits without leaving the napper feeling sleepy afterward.

Compared to caffeine, napping can bring better memory and learning

Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center, and the University of California San Francisco, found that the progression of Alzheimer’s disease led to more napping, and also that people who napped a lot were at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s. Frequent daytime napping by older adults linked to increased risk of Alzheimer’s, study says. It’s possible that napping somehow promotes Alzheimer’s, but there’s no direct evidence for a causal connection. Instead, many experts believe, it’s more likely that napping is an early sign of brain degeneration that starts before symptoms emerge.

People who often nap have a greater chance of developing high blood pressure and having a stroke, a large new study has found. Study participants who typically napped during the day were 12 per cent more likely to develop high blood pressure over time and were 24 per cent more likely to have a stroke compared with people who never napped.

Whether you take a nap or not, enough sleep at night is an important factor in heart health, according to the American heart association guidelines that were updated in June 2022. Most adults have to get seven to nine hours of sleep, according to neurologists.