Should we nap during the day? We asked five experts

It’s important to keep your daytime naps to ten to 30 minutes and no longer. zohre nemati unsplash, CC BY

Alexandra Hansen, The Conversation, Jennifer Zaslona, Kathleen Maddison, Michelle Olaithe, Raymond Matthews, Shona Halson

Author

Alexandra Hansen
Deputy Editor and Chief of Staff, The Conversation AUNZ

Interviewed

Jennifer Zaslona
Post-Doctoral Fellow, Sleep/Wake Research Centre, Massey University
Kathleen Maddison
Research Fellow & Lecturer, Centre for Sleep Science, The University of Western Australia
Michelle Olaithe
Research Associate, Faculty of Science, School of Psychological Science, The University of Western Australia
Raymond Matthews
Research Fellow, Sleep and Chronobiology Laboratory, Behaviour-Brain-Body Research Centre, University of South Australia
Shona Halson
Associate professor, Australian Catholic University

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Often during the day I feel the need to have a bit of a lie-down. Whether it’s been a busy day, I didn’t sleep well the night before, or for no particular reason I know of. But some will warn that you’ll be ruined for sleep that night if you nap during the day.

We asked five experts if we should nap during the day.

Four out of five experts said yes

Here are their detailed responses:

If you have a “yes or no” health question you’d like posed to Five Experts, email your suggestion to: alexandra.hansen@theconversation.edu.au

None of the authors have any interests or affiliations to declare.

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