Are Power Naps Good for Your Brain?

May 07, 2026

You’re probably familiar with that afternoon slump, when you find yourself feeling sleepy or low on energy. What if instead of grabbing a cup of coffee you grabbed a pillow instead? Research shows that a short afternoon nap can help with focus and memory and lead to a more productive second half of the day.

University Hospitals sleep medicine physician Dennis Jurcevic, MD, explains more about who can benefit from an afternoon nap, how it can be effective and pitfalls to avoid.

How Much Sleep Do We Need?

Getting enough sleep is essential to your overall health and well-being. Sleep deprivation can lead to symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, mood changes and increased irritability, difficulty focusing and disrupted hunger signals. In general, younger adults need 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night, while older adults need less sleep overall. Getting less than 5 hours of sleep at night can have a significant impact on your daily functioning.

“We can never really fully recover from sleep lost, but if you are deprived of sleep, taking a nap can help you function through the rest of the day if you had a poor night’s sleep,” says Dr. Jurcevic.

How Can Napping Help?

Research looking at how napping affects adults shows that a 30-minute power nap can improve your brain’s ability to encode new information, increase your ability to focus and improve your overall brain function for up to 4 hours after napping. Some studies have shown that students who took a short nap while studying were able to retain information better and improve their memory and recall.

A short nap is also a good alternative to caffeine to push you through the afternoon slump, says Dr. Jurcevic. While caffeine can be very effective in the morning to help wash away sleep chemicals in the brain, consuming it too late in the day can have a negative impact on your ability to sleep at night.

Ideal Nap Length and Timing

To get the most benefit from a nap, it should be kept to about 30 minutes in length and take place between 1 and 5 p.m., ideally on the earlier side of that range, says Dr. Jurcevic. Longer naps can lead to grogginess, disorientation and cognitive impairment upon waking and sleeping too late in the day can make it harder to fall asleep at bedtime.

Are There Any Downsides to Naps?

Daytime napping can have negative effects on older adults, says Dr. Jurcevic. Napping in the elderly population (age 60 – 65 and older) is associated with increased cardiovascular risk, and increased risk of developing dementia and memory problems. Studies have also shown an increased risk of depression in daytime nappers.

If you chronically feel the need to nap during the day, even after getting adequate sleep at night, it could be a sign of a sleep disorder. Excessive daytime sleepiness can be a symptom of conditions such as obstructive sleep apnea, narcolepsy, hypersomnia, restless legs syndrome, circadian rhythm disorders and others sleep disorders.

An Afternoon Nap is Beneficial for Most People

Although not everyone feels the need to nap during the day, if you find yourself suffering from the post-lunch slump, a short nap can be an efficient and effective way to improve your cognitive function for the rest of the day.

“It’s really pretty simple: if you are able to take a short half-hour nap after lunch it may significantly improve the second half of your workday,” says Dr. Jurcevic, noting that some cultures, such as Japan and China, promote and incorporate taking naps as a regular practice.

“Studying these cultures’ productivity and efficiency may help us better understand the benefits of incorporating napping into the work culture here at home.”