Last week we ran asked a question on The Leopard instagram stories about napping. We wanted to know, on average, how often the rest of you were getting extra shut-eye during the day. And the answers ranged from one end of the scale to the other: there were those who rarely ever napped and those who took one every single day. But it got us thinking, do we need to nap? Are humans designed to get extra sleep during the day?
We all know that for peak health scientists recommend an average of eight hours sleep a night (and that we need consistent bedtime and wake-up times), but what about naps? Should we be taking them too? Other animals, and other mammals, certainly do – so what about us? And do we need more sleep in the winter when it’s darker?
So we hit up the internet for the answer to one of life’s biggest questions, should humans nap?
The National Sleep Foundation (which is based in the U.S.) seems to think so. It says: “Naps are good for both children and adults. Many studies point out that nap time reduces daytime sleepiness, as well as boosts learning and performance.” They agree that whilst we don’t need to nap, it’s likely that getting some extra sleep in the day could be linked to health benefits. But they also argue (as do many other reliable sources) that the peak duration of a nap is just twenty-minutes (and not the 2-3 hour stint so many of us love to enjoy at the weekend).
A recent study of over-60s in China found that those who napped for 30 to 90 minutes every day had better word recall and were better at figure drawing (good signs of both memory and cognitive skills) than people who did not nap or who napped for longer than 90 minutes. Whilst a similar study on astronauts and military pilots found that their performance and alertness was improved after a 40-minute daytime nap.
Taking naps is not only linked the alertness and good memory but also lower levels of stress, increased patience, increased learning and better reaction times.
The general consensus seems to be that if you do want to nap, it’s best to do it just after lunchtime when we’re naturally more sleepy, this way it avoids disrupting our usual bedtime. Naps should also not be used as a replacement for a decent night’s sleep and that we should still be getting our usual eight hours where we can.
And what about in the winter, could we benefit from sleeping more in the darker months? According to the NHS, no. And according to the rest of the internet? Also no. The lack of sunlight can lead to a lower level of serotonin (the happy hormone) in the brain and a higher level of melatonin (the sleepy hormonal) which can make us feel more lethargic than normal, and can also play a part in Seasonal Affective Disorder.
The NHS suggest that to tackle winter tiredness we should get as much sunlight as possible, aim for eight hours sleep a day, get regular exercise, eat the right food and try and learn how to properly relax (easier said than done).
And if you’re wondering whether humans are designed to nap and whether it’s in fact modern life that’s got in the way, you might be surprised to to read the findings of a recent study of adults living in three hunter-gatherer societies in rural parts of Africa and South America. Despite all their geographical, historical and genetical differences, they all had a fairly similar sleep schedule. The study by Jerome Siegel, a sleep researcher at the University of California, found that the participants average just over six hours of sleep a day, almost never napped and didn’t struggle with insomnia at all. They went to bed roughly three hours after the sun set and woke again before sunrise.
The simple answer is that no, we don’t need to nap. It’s not an essential part in keeping us alive – unless of course we’re shift workers or desperately sleep deprived. But it has plenty of health benefits that mean it might just be worth trying to sneak one in (with absolute zero guilt) whenever we can…
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