

What happens if you nap for more than 20 minutes? Research shows longer naps help boost memory and enhance creativity. The 20-minute power nap - sometimes called the stage 2 nap - is good for alertness and motor learning skills like typing and playing the piano. The length of your nap and the type of sleep you get help determine the brain-boosting benefits. That's what most people really need to stave off sleepiness and get an energy boost." "You reset the system and get a burst of alertness and increased motor performance. "You can get incredible benefits from 15 to 20 minutes of napping," she says. Mednick, PhD, sleep expert and author of Take a Nap! Change Your Life. Naps and Sleep Deprivationĭaytime naps can be one way to treat sleep deprivation, says Sara C. So to combat fatigue and stay on top of things at work and at home, Wilde has made power naps a regular part of her routine, setting an alarm for a short snooze. "I can't do all-nighters anymore or just get six hours of sleep without it beginning to affect me," she says. But unanticipated issues often push her bedtime later. every day and tries to go to bed by 10:30 p.m.

Wilde, a marketing manager and health blogger in Mountain View, Calif., is constantly juggling her schedule as a working mom and family caregiver. Naps help Constance Kobylarz Wilde, 58, recharge, especially if she takes them right after lunch.
