napping Archives - Better Sleep Council | Start every day with a good night’s sleep

How to Know How Much Sleep You Need for a Restful Night

Josh Farmer — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 20:46:54 +0000

Think of the time-related guidelines you can recite by heart. Wait 30 minutes to go swimming after a meal. Arrive at the airport two hours before your flight. Visit your dentist every six months. Now ask yourself: “How many hours of sleep should I get?” If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. (The answer is not the same for everyone anyway.) Here’s how to know how much sleep you need.

Everyone has different sleep needs.

Sleep needs change over your life span. When you’re young and growing, it’s normal to spend half of the day, if not more, sleeping. As you get older, you require less sleep each night for proper health and wellness.

While age is the primary factor in determining how much sleep you need, it’s not the only one.

Genetics influence your circadian rhythm and sleep patterns. There’s even a rare short-sleep gene mutation that allows individuals to sleep six hours or less each night without any ill effects.
Your physical and mental health impact how much sleep you need. For example, people suffering from anxiety or depression tend to spend less time in deep sleep stages, so they may need more time asleep to get proper rest.
Sleep needs can vary for different lifestyles. Athletes often need more sleep to recover from intense physical training.

Feel well rested? That’s how much sleep you need.

Your ultimate goal is to find your Goldilocks sleep spot – that “just right” amount of quality, restful sleep that leaves you healthy, happy and ready to take on the world.

The first step in determining what that means for you is setting a bedtime that allows for the recommended number of sleep hours for your age bracket. (For adults under 60, we suggest starting with eight hours.) Stick to that routine for a week or two and be sure to practice good sleeping habits during that time. Then, track how you feel when you wake up and throughout the day.

Do you hit the snooze button and pull the covers over your head more than once every morning? Is it hard to focus and concentrate during the day? Do you constantly crave caffeine and junk food? Are you moody? Do you show physical signs of irritated eyes, acne or weight gain? All of these can be signs of sleep deprivation, meaning you’re not getting enough quality sleep.

Do you find yourself waking up before your alarm, raring to go? Do you feel refreshed with an energy level that lasts throughout the day? You may not need the full eight hours you’ve scheduled for sleep.

Adjust your sleep routine until you find the right sleep interval for you. It may also help to vary your bedtime. You may discover that hitting the sack at 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m. and shifting your alarm to an hour earlier makes a big difference without adding additional shut-eye time.

Can you sleep too much?

Surprisingly, yes.

All of us need an extra hour or two of rest on occasion. In the short term, oversleeping can have the same negative side effects as getting too little sleep. But if you regularly need more than nine to 10 hours of sleep to feel rested, you may be suffering from other health problems, like diabetes, depression or sleep apnea. To better understand why you are oversleeping, talk to your doctor to see if you need a professional sleep assessment.

Learn how much sleep you really need to feel rested from @BetterSleepOrg.

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This blog provides general information about sleep and sleep products. The words and other content provided in this blog, and in any linked materials, are not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional. This blog should not be construed as medical advice or used to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any disease or condition. If the reader or any other person has a medical concern, then he or she should consult with an appropriately licensed physician or other healthcare professional. This blog is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and should not be relied upon to make decisions about your health or the health of others. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this blog or elsewhere on bettersleep.org. If you think you may have a medical emergency, then immediately call your doctor or dial 911.

Sleeping on the Job: Grabbing Naps During the Workday

Josh Farmer — Tue, 31 Aug 2021 01:51:19 +0000

For many of us, work looks vastly different than it did a little more than a year ago. In a lot of ways, that’s good. (No commute! Sweatpants! Log in from your patio!) At Better Sleep Council, one of the positive changes we’re excited to see as a result of more Americans working from home is people grabbing naps during the workday. Whether it’s an afternoon siesta or a 15- to 30-minute power nap, sleeping during work has become a regular part of our lives.

Power Naps Are Becoming the New Normal

We recently surveyed 800 working adults to see how the pandemic-induced shift to remote or hybrid work has changed America’s daytime sleep habits to include sleep breaks at work.

Nearly a quarter of working Americans (22%) reported they’re taking naps during business hours.
Those who work remotely (31%) or on a hybrid schedule (29%) are more than twice as likely to grab shut-eye on company time than those who commute into the office (13%).

While a few progressive employers, like Google, Cisco and Zappos, had adopted pro-napping-at-work policies before the pandemic, it appears as though the flexibility of working from home has allowed more workers to embrace the concept of daytime naps.

Benefits of Power Naps During the Workday

Maybe being at home allows us to step away for some midday zzz’s without fear of being judged. Maybe it’s the lure of having a comfy bed or soft sofa nearby that makes napping more likely. Perhaps it’s the simple fact that we’ve realized the benefits of power naps at work, and how they can help us tackle the rest of the day.

Research has proven that catnaps help us maintain – even improve – our cognitive performance, in addition to boosting our ability to remember and recall facts learned throughout the day. Studies also show that a midday nap can help reduce feelings of frustration. (And we all know how frustrating work can get.) Our survey responders agree.

“87% of those who took a daytime nap reported that they woke from their nap feeling refreshed.”

How Long Should You Nap to Feel Refreshed?

On average, a workday nap lasts 29 minutes for our responders. While the ideal amount of time to nap varies based on your age and overall sleep health, naps lasting much longer than about a half-hour can cause you to feel groggy when you wake up and ultimately disrupt your nighttime sleep routine.

For the best catnap length, target 15-20 minutes as your time goal and consider how you can strategically add it to your work schedule somewhere around 2 p.m. to coincide with your natural circadian rhythms. Try using part of a late lunch break for an afternoon siesta. Or block out that open gap between video calls with an appointment named “important regroup.” (It’s not a lie.)

To make the most of your time away from your phone and laptop, do your best to relax so you can fall asleep quickly. Put alerts on mute. Meditate. Use breathing exercises. Fire up a white noise app. Even if you don’t fall asleep, your brain will have a nice, quiet break to reset before you get back to the grind. And, finally, remind yourself that you’re doing all of this so you can be the best version of you – both on and off the clock.

Learn how sleeping on the job can be a beneficial way to boost your productivity during the workday from experts @BetterSleepOrg.

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Sleeping on the Job

Josh Farmer — Thu, 05 Aug 2021 15:45:15 +0000

In its continued effort to monitor how well America is sleeping, the Better Sleep Council conducted a survey to understand to what degree working Americans are taking restorative naps during the workday – especially given the dynamic shift in work environments due to the pandemic.

Overall, our assessment found that more than one in five working adults take a nap during the workday (this measure includes naps taken during and outside of work breaks).
Napping during the workday is driven by people working from home or in hybrid situations (i.e., Americans who work in a flexible environment that include both an office setting and a remote location), who are two times more likely to take naps during the workday than their in-office counterparts.
Napping is more common among younger working adults. Generation Z are 3.4 times and Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to take naps during the workday than Boomers.
Regardless of how long they take or where they are taken, naps are restorative! Eighty-seven percent of those who nap during the workday say naps are “refreshing.” They are particularly restorative for parents with children at home, who are 1.6 times more likely to say naps are “very” refreshing compared to working adults with no children at home.

The research consisted of an online survey, representative of working adults 18 and older within the United States. It was administered between July 23 and July 26, 2021, among a sample of 800 respondents. The sample size provides 95% confidence + 3.5%.

OVERALL FINDINGS

Over one in five (22%) working adults take naps during the workday (including during breaks).

Q2 – Which of the following have you done during the workday (including during breaks) in the past month? (Check all that apply.)

Total	N=800
Used cellphone/texting for personal reasons	69%
Surfed the internet for personal reasons	59%
Went on social media for personal reasons	59%
Socialized with co-workers	54%
Watched TV	46%
Played video games on phone, computer or TV	37%
Exercised	33%
Ran errands	33%
Did household chores (e.g., cleaning, cooking)	31%
Took (a) nap(s)	22%
Went on smoke breaks	20%
Took care of/watched my children	16%
Other	2%

On average, working Americans take half-hour naps (the average is 29 minutes). But there are exceptions: nearly one in 10 nappers take at least one hour-long nap during the workday.

Q5 – Approximately how long is your typical nap?

Total	N=172
< 5 min	3%
5-9 min	6%
10-14 min	8%
15-19 min	17%
20-24 min	11%
25-29 min	12%
30-34 min	15%
35-39 min	3%
40-44 min	5%
45-49 min	4%
50-54 min	3%
55-59 min	3%
60 min or more	9%
Mean	29 min

Regardless of how long naps last, nearly all are restorative. Eighty-seven percent of those who nap during the workday find naps refreshing. Naps are most refreshing to people with children at home.

Q4 – How refreshed did you feel after napping?

	Total Sample	Children (any age) ———-	No Children ———-
		(F)[1]	(G)
Total	N=172	N=83	N=89
Very refreshed	37%	46% G	29%
Somewhat refreshed	50%	41%	58% F

Most naps taken during the workday are taken in bed (53%) or on a sofa (41%). Yet nearly one-quarter of Americans napping during the workday sleep in a chair or in their car (or truck). Sleeping at a desk, on the floor or anywhere they can are less common, but something one in 10 working Americans do.

Q3 – Where did you nap? (Check all that apply.)

Total	N=172
In bed	53%
On a sofa	41%
In my chair	28%
In my car/truck	24%
At my desk	16%
On the floor	12%
Anywhere I could	10%
In the bathroom	5%
Other	1%

WHO IS more likely to take a nap during the workday?

Q2 – Which of the following have you done during the workday (including during breaks) in the past month? (Check all that apply.)

Not surprisingly, people working from home or in hybrid situations are twice as likely to nap during the workday than those working in an office setting. (Respectively, 2.4 times among people working at home and 2.2 times among people working hybrid.)

	At home only ———-	In an office only ———-	In a non- office facility ———-	Hybrid ———-	Outdoors ———-	Other ———-
	(F)	(G)	(H)	(I)	(J)	(K)
Total	N=113	N=285	N=243	N=104	N=50	N=5
Took (a) nap(s)	31% G	13%	23% G	29% G	22%	20%

Younger generations are more likely to take a nap during the workday than older cohorts. Gen Z and Millennials are respectively 3.4 times and 2.5 times more likely to take naps during the workday than Boomers.

	Gen Z ———-	Millennials ———–	Gen X ———-	Boomers ———-
	(H)	(I)	(J)	(K)
Total	N=51	N=340	N=294	N=115
Took (a) nap(s)	37% JK	27% JK	16%	11%

Workers with lower income are also more likely to nap during the workday. Workers with a yearly household income under $50,000 are 1.6 times more likely to nap during this time than those earning $100,000 or more.

	Under $50,000 ———-	$50,000-$99,999 ———-	$100,000+ ———-
	(L)	(M)	(N)
Total	N=273	N=269	N=258
Took (a) nap(s)	26% N	22%	16%

Survey Details: Better Sleep Council August 2021

[1] An alphabetical code letter has been assigned to groups (e.g., A, B, C, etc.) throughout this report. If a percentage within one group is significantly greater than a corresponding percentage in a second group, then the code letter from the second group appears next to the percentage in the first group.