Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.
Barbara Jordan
You got up early and got a great start to the day. Since then, the day has been trucking along with productivity, getting work completed and attending the various meetings that are required.
Throughout it all you’ve been a trooper–and even made it through lunch without much trouble! But now, time is creeping into the late afternoon, and you’re just out of energy.
What do you do? You take a nap, of course!
Even though naps can be extremely beneficial, they seem to be under-utilized by those who are over 6 years old. While some modern cultures incorporate a nap into their day, many do not.
National Napping Day encourages people all over the world to remember these benefits of youth and take a little time out of the day for a much needed rest!
National Napping Day Timeline
Classical Siesta Traditions Emerge
Ancient Greeks and other Mediterranean peoples adopted a midafternoon rest, which later informs the Iberian “siesta” culture linked to heat and daylight patterns. [1]
Biphasic Sleep and Daytime Rest in Europe
Historical evidence suggests many Europeans follow biphasic sleep, with a waking interval at night and common daytime dozing, reflecting more flexible preindustrial sleep–wake patterns. [1]
Siesta Becomes Embedded in Spanish Daily Life
With urban growth and hot-climate work rhythms, Spain normalized a post-lunch siesta, closing shops in early afternoon and treating midday rest as part of social and economic life.
Industrialization Pushes Against Daytime Naps
In the United States and northern Europe, factory schedules and “clock time” lead reformers and employers to promote continuous workdays, casting adult napping as laziness or inefficiency.
Scientific Study of Naps Begins in Earnest
Sleep laboratories start to document how brief daytime naps improve alertness and performance, helping to establish napping as a legitimate subject within sleep medicine.
NASA Identifies the “Power Nap”
A NASA and FAA-supported study of pilots finds that a planned 26‑minute cockpit nap during long flights significantly boosts alertness and performance, popularizing the idea of a short “power nap.”
Modern Research Links Naps to Brain and Heart Health
Large genetic and imaging studies connect regular daytime napping with larger brain volume and explore complex ties with cardiovascular risk, reframing naps as a potential tool for healthy aging. [1]
History of National Napping Day
This history of napping comes as an age old tradition. In fact, in certain cultures, napping was something that almost everyone would tend to do in the middle of the afternoon. The siesta continues to present itself as a time-honored tradition in Spain that happens right after the afternoon meal and has been a practice basically since time began.
In fact, for those who are in the Mediterranean, napping is pretty much standard everywhere people go. In Italy naps are called the riposo, pisolini, literally meaning “rest naps”.
Even old Charlamagne (also known as Charles the Great, the 8th century medieval emperor in Europe) has been recorded as having taken 2-3 hour naps in the middle of the afternoon.
So is it just laziness? Not at all! It’s just a different way of living.
In part, the need for the nap can be directly related to these hottest hours of the day in the middle of the afternoon. Especially prior to central air conditioning, it only made sense to take a brief break at that point. It may also have to do with the circadian rhythms and the change-over point between the wake cycle and sleep cycle, there’s a time in the middle of the afternoon that is essentially perfect for a nap.
Many health professionals and researchers have written about the notable benefits of taking a nap in the afternoon. In fact, some evidence points to a 37% reduction in occurrences of coronary mortality in those who take an afternoon nap regularly.
Does that mean those who take naps might literally be saving their own lives? It’s quite possible!
How to Celebrate National Napping Day
Well, the way to celebrate National Napping Day is pretty simple isn’t it? Just take a little time in the afternoon (whenever afternoon is to rest. Whether it’s a 20 minute power nap on the sofa or a two-hour, get-under-the-covers nap, take some time to fill up the energy tank again.
After the afternoon meal is the perfect time because the body is spending a lot of energy digesting food. In the long-run, a nap can help a person feel better and more energized for the day ahead. It may be tricky for those who have a regular work schedule, but whenever the opportunity presents itself…take a nap!
In addition to catching a few z’s in the middle of the day, celebrating National Napping Day also offers a few other opportunities, including:
Get Inspired By Famous Nappers
Some famous and brilliant people were known for taking naps, such as:
- Salvador Dali. This eccentric artist from Spain worked hard to invent the micro-nap. He would intentionally fall asleep sitting up, with a large key in his hand which was poised over a metal plate or bowl. As he fell asleep, the key would fall and make noise, waking him up to get to work again–feeling much restored and revived.
- Eleanor Roosevelt. The wife of the 32nd president of the United States would often take a short nap before she was to give a public speech, which gave her a little energy boost to greet her adoring crowds.
- Napoleon Buonaparte. As a military genius, Napoleon was known for going long periods without sleeping and then simply falling asleep at will, even in the middle of the battlefield.
- Leonardo Da Vinci. This famous artist went so far as to replace his normal sleep and, instead, taking a 15 minute nap every 4 hours, which is now called “polyphasic sleeping”.
- Margaret Thatcher. With the nickname “The Iron Lady”, it’s no surprise that this British Prime Minister only slept for 4 hours each night. However, she was known to regularly schedule a 1 hour nap in the afternoon.
Have a Relaxation Session
For those who aren’t necessarily able to fall asleep in the afternoon, that’s not necessarily a negative thing. It probably just means their bodies get enough sleep at night on a regular basis. Even so, a little rest in the afternoon is a good idea as the brain and body can still benefit, even if there’s no actual sleep.
In lieu of a nap, it can be beneficial to spend a few minutes practicing mindfulness exercises or meditation. Spend some time on deep breathing exercises, go through a body scan to notice which points might be responding to stress, listen to some relaxing music, and simply take a few minutes just to get refreshed before entering back into the busy world again!
The Science-Backed Benefits of Napping
Far from being a sign of laziness, napping is a natural biological response that supports energy, focus, and long-term health.
Research shows that short daytime rest aligns with the body’s internal rhythms, improves mental performance, and may even protect the heart.
Understanding when and how naps work best reveals why this simple habit can be a powerful tool for daily well-being.
The Body’s Built‑In Afternoon Slump
Human sleep pressure follows a “two‑process” model, where a circadian rhythm and a separate homeostatic drive for sleep interact.
Around 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., most adults experience a natural dip in alertness even if they slept well the night before, which helps explain why many people feel drowsy after lunch and why short naps at this time can be especially restorative.
Power Naps Can Sharpen Performance
Controlled studies show that brief daytime naps can quickly restore alertness and performance.
In one NASA‑funded experiment with pilots, a 40‑minute nap opportunity that produced an average of 25.8 minutes of sleep improved reaction time by 16 percent and subjective alertness by 34 percent compared with no‑nap conditions.
Napping and Heart Health
Large population studies suggest that habitual napping may benefit cardiovascular health under some conditions.
A Greek cohort of more than 23,000 adults followed for about six years found that those who took a midday nap at least three times per week had a 37 percent lower risk of coronary heart disease mortality compared with non‑nappers, after adjusting for other risk factors.
When Naps Backfire
Not all naps are equal. Sleep researchers have found that long or late‑day naps can worsen “sleep inertia,” the groggy, disoriented feeling on waking, and can also interfere with nighttime sleep in people with insomnia.
Clinical guidelines generally recommend keeping naps to about 20 to 30 minutes and avoiding them too close to bedtime for those who already struggle with sleep.
The Mediterranean Siesta Tradition Is Changing
Midday rest has deep roots in Mediterranean societies, but it has been shrinking in modern urban life.
In Spain, for example, the classic two‑ to three‑hour lunch and siesta break has declined as more people work continuous schedules; surveys in the 2000s found most Spaniards no longer nap regularly, even though “siesta” remains a strong cultural symbol.
Napping Around the World
Cross‑cultural surveys show that daytime sleep is far from rare. Data from the multinational European Time Use Surveys and other population studies indicate that regular napping is particularly common in countries such as Greece, China and Mexico, while it is less prevalent in Northern Europe and North America, reflecting differences in climate, work schedules and social attitudes toward rest.
From Factory Clocks to “No‑Nap” Norms
Historians of sleep note that strict continuous workdays in industrialized societies helped stigmatize daytime sleeping as laziness.
Before the spread of factory timekeeping in the 19th century, many communities organized labor more flexibly around daylight and climate, making segmented sleep and midday rest more acceptable; as office and factory culture spread, these older rhythms were often pushed aside.
National Napping Day FAQs
Is taking a daytime nap actually good for adult health?
Research suggests that short, regular daytime naps can be beneficial for many adults. Studies have linked napping with improved alertness, mood, and cognitive performance, and one large observational study of Greek adults found that habitual siesta takers had a significantly lower risk of death from coronary heart disease compared with non‑nappers.
As with any observational data, this does not prove cause and effect, and very long or late naps may be less helpful, but moderate daytime rest appears compatible with good health for most people. [1]
How long should a nap be to feel refreshed without feeling groggy afterward?
Sleep researchers often recommend keeping most daytime naps to about 10 to 30 minutes.
Controlled studies show that brief naps of 5 to 15 minutes can improve alertness and performance almost immediately, with benefits that last for a few hours, while longer naps that enter deeper sleep stages are more likely to cause sleep inertia, the heavy, groggy feeling after waking.
Some people tolerate 60‑minute or longer naps well, but for many adults, a short “power nap” earlier in the afternoon provides the best balance. [1]
Can napping interfere with getting a good night’s sleep?
Naps can interfere with nighttime sleep for some people, especially those who struggle with insomnia. Clinical sleep guidelines generally advise avoiding late‑day or long naps if a person has difficulty falling or staying asleep at night.
Earlier, brief naps tend to be less disruptive, while long afternoon sleep can reduce homeostatic sleep drive and make it harder to fall asleep at bedtime. Sleep specialists usually suggest prioritizing a consistent nighttime schedule and using naps strategically rather than routinely if insomnia is present. [1]
Are naps different for children than for adults?
Yes. In early childhood, daytime naps are a normal and important part of total sleep, supporting mood regulation, learning, and physical growth.
As children age, their need for daytime sleep declines, and most healthy school‑age children no longer require regular naps if they get adequate sleep at night.
In adults, daytime napping shifts from being a core biological need to a supplemental strategy that can counter short‑term sleep loss, improve performance, or provide rest during the natural mid‑afternoon dip in alertness.
Do naps really help the brain, or do they just feel relaxing?
Experimental and imaging studies indicate that naps can have measurable effects on the brain beyond simple relaxation.
Short daytime sleep has been shown to restore working memory and improve reaction time by normalizing activation in brain regions such as the thalamus and cerebellum after sleep loss.
Large-scale genetic and imaging research has also found that habitual daytime nappers tend to have slightly larger total brain volume, a feature associated with healthier brain aging, although this does not prove that napping itself prevents disease. [1]
Are there people who should be cautious about napping?
Sleep and medical organizations advise some groups to be cautious. People with chronic insomnia are often told to limit or avoid daytime naps so that sleep pressure can build for night.
Those with untreated sleep apnea or significant daytime sleepiness should talk with a clinician, since an urge to nap may signal an underlying sleep disorder.
In addition, anyone in safety‑critical roles, such as professional drivers or machine operators, should plan naps carefully so they are fully alert before returning to work. [1]
Is a polyphasic or “every few hours” sleep schedule healthier than one long night of sleep?
Most sleep scientists consider a consolidated 7‑ to 9‑hour nighttime sleep pattern to be healthiest for adults, and major sleep organizations do not recommend extreme polyphasic schedules.
While very short, frequent naps have been tried by some individuals, robust evidence that such patterns are safe or superior over the long term is lacking, and they can be difficult to maintain in modern social and work environments.
Experimental studies showing the benefits of napping are generally based on one planned nap in the day rather than radical fragmentation of sleep. [1]
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