Seeker's video: How to Take the Perfect Nap

PSA: Napping isn't just for kids! The benefits of a quick 10-20 minute nap can be as powerful as a full 8-hour snooze. So next time you nod off at your desk, don't feel too bad about catching some extra Z's. » Subscribe to Seeker! http://bit.ly/subscribeseeker » Watch more Elements! http://bit.ly/ElementsPlaylist » Sign Up for Seeker's Newsletter! https://www.seeker.com/newsletters Research has shown a full night’s sleep is good for your memory, mood, and immune system just to name a few benefits. But what about taking a nap during the day? Is it helpful or harmful? How does the length of the nap impact you? And is there an optimal time to grab a quick snooze? Depending on a person’s age, napping is downright necessary. Generally speaking the younger a person is the more sleep their developing brains and bodies need, so experts recommend that newborns get 14 to 17 hours of sleep while preschoolers should get 10 to 13 hours of shuteye every day. That is a long time to spend unconscious and it’s not going to happen all in a row, so the kiddos need to take naps, no matter how much they kick and scream when they hear it’s nap time. Guidelines also say that kids age 6 to 13 should get anywhere from 9 to 11 or even 12 hours of sleep daily. Once people are adults though, do they really need to sneak in a siesta? Our modern way of life with our 9 to 5 jobs and our fancy electric light bulbs may have altered how we sleep compared to our ancient ancestors. Napping isn’t necessary for adults, but it still could have potential upsides. Because our brains go through different stages during sleep, the benefits of a nap are correlated with its length. If you find yourself slowing down in the middle of the day after lunch, a quick 20 minute power nap could be all you need to wake up feeling refreshed and alert. Read More: Scientists agree: Coffee naps are better than coffee or naps alone https://www.vox.com/2014/8/28/6074177/coffee-naps-caffeine-science It might sound crazy: conventional wisdom is that caffeine interferes with sleep. But if you caffeinate immediately before napping and sleep for 20 minutes or less, you can exploit a quirk in the way both sleep and caffeine affect your brain to maximize alertness. Here's the science behind the idea. Natural Sleep and Its Seasonal Variations in Three Pre-industrial Societies https://www.cell.com/fulltext/S0960-9822(15)01157-4 How did humans sleep before the modern era? Because the tools to measure sleep under natural conditions were developed long after the invention of the electric devices suspected of delaying and reducing sleep, we investigated sleep in three preindustrial societies. Napping https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-hygiene/napping Researchers found that five-minute naps are too short3 to move deep enough through sleep stages to produce a notable benefit. On the other hand, sleeping for 30 minutes or longer gives the body enough time to enter deep (slow-wave) sleep. ____________________ Elements is more than just a science show. It’s your science-loving best friend, tasked with keeping you updated and interested in the compelling, innovative, and groundbreaking science that's happening all around us. Join our passionate hosts as they help break down and present fascinating science, from quarks to quantum theory and beyond. Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe. Visit the Seeker website https://www.seeker.com/videos Elements on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeekerElements/ Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=dnewschannel Seeker on Twitter http://twitter.com/seeker Seeker on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SeekerMedia/ Seeker http://www.seeker.com/