21/04/2026
[TALINO TUESDAYS]
โItutulog ko na lang muna โtoโฆโ
โMasaya na nga ako sa 5 hours of sleep eh!โ
As college students, there will be times when we inevitably donโt get the needed 6โ8 hours of sleep every day or we become physically exhausted by the demands of our workloads, and so we tend to resort to napping to alleviate sleepiness and impaired performance (Hilditch et al., 2017). However, we often feel tempted to sleep again right after waking up or feel lazier rather than more productive.
Power naps, or short naps, are periods of slumber lasting around 10โ20 minutes. The psychological explanation for why a power nap is better than a nap longer than 20 minutes is that it ends right before slow-wave sleep (SWS) begins (Hayashi et al., 2005). Power naps also reduce sleep inertia, the groggy, confused, and disoriented feeling we get upon waking in the morning or after a longer nap (Signal et al., 2012).
A study conducted by Brooks and Lack (2006) experimentally confirmed that 10- and 20-minute power naps provide the most benefits, such as reduced sleepiness, fatigue, and improved cognitive performance. This study also found that a 30-minute nap actually impairs alertness and performance due to sleep inertia, suggesting that SWS starts to kick in after around the 20 minute mark. Hayashi et al. (2005) also support this finding, noting that Stage 2 sleep, which occurs just before SWS, provides strong recuperative effects.
These findings show that sleep is not something that students can compromise. Instead, it is something that can be maximized with the right strategies based on deeper understanding of how our brain operates.
So how can we best do our power naps to maximize their benefits on learning and cognitive performance? We asked Maโam Jennifer Rose Soriano, a professorial lecturer from the UPD Department of Psychology teaching Biopsychology, and whose research interests include geriatric science, neurocognitive evaluation and cognition-focused interventions, about her thoughts on the matter:
โ Which is better: shorter or longer naps?
By theory, power naps barely take a person to stage 2 or 3 within the sleep cycle, where restorative processes and recuperation could take place. Meanwhile, a longer nap becomes a โhighwayโ for deep sleep.
In a practical sense - power naps are apparently shorter, and could refuel a person to a certain degree/extent. Meanwhile, longer naps are more sustained and could provide restorative rest, but have the potential of affecting the quality of evening sleep.
โ How long should a power nap take?
To maximize the benefits of power naps, make sure it never goes beyond 15 to 20 minutes.
โ When is the best time to take a power nap?
Power naps should not occur late in the afternoon, as it may escalate to a longer nap then affecting evening sleep-quality. Caffeine intake is also discouraged if the power nap occurs beyond 2PM. Glucose or caffeine might sabotage intended beneficial effects of power naps,
It is also possible during breaks in between classes, without sacrificing nutritional-intake or scheduled food/meal consumption. They can make the most of this power nap in terms of having their alertness and concentration capacity recharged by following it with some form of light physical motions (stretching, brisk walking, stationary jog/run). Engagement in worthy or constructive tasks right after the power nap can also provide useful consequences.
โ Can power naps replace normal night sleep?
Power naps cannot and should not replace evening sleep, power naps have only short-term or limited restorative benefits.
โ How to work around sleep when we are pressed for time?
A selected โNO-policyโ, or dismissing tasks that are not part of your priority goals, would help protect time-distribution on the goals you are to accomplish. Delegate your โenergyโ to the more necessary and high-stakes tasks, then make sure to make the most of the next most possible opportunity to rest or sleep by sleeping adequately for 7 to 8 hours.
When permissible, even between these โhigh-stakeโ tasks accomplishment, 10 to 15 minutes power naps may help, although it may be counter beneficial to do so late in the afternoon or in the evening.
โ How important is sleep?
The relevance and value of sleep can NEVER be downplayed in day to day living (including academic-functioning and learning). Hence, as a practitioner and lecturer, I make it a point to include sleep-science in our classโ lecture-topics/learning processes (as well as in clinical/hospital practice in the context of sleep-psycho-education) if not on research-related efforts/activities.
Power naps work best when sleep ends after 10โ20 minutes. It is recommended when youโre feeling sleepy or need to focus since their restorative effects can last up to 125โ155 minutes after waking up (Brooks & Lack, 2006). Another suggestion is to drink coffee right before your power nap, which is also known as a caffeine nap (Centofanti et al., 2020). Before napping, itโs best to set an alarm and find a comfortable place to rest. Again, avoid going past 30 minutes, as doing so may increase the likelihood of sleep inertia, making you want to sleep again after waking.
Overall, taking power naps are effective to enhance our cognitive performance and learning efficiency and incorporating them into our daily routine habits positively improves our mental well-being, learning, and productivity (Sathe & Nayak, 2025). Adults can benefit from taking at least 15-20 minutes of nap in the afternoon, improving long-term brain, physical health, and providing mental clarity. However, it is important to note that this should not be done in place of nocturnal sleep, as both are needed to optimize both our productivity and health (George et al., 2024).
Pub by: Kristine Lim
Content by: Jerome Gomez & Chesca Chua
Caption by: Prairie
REFERENCES:
[1] Brooks, A., & Lack, L. (2006). A Brief Afternoon Nap Following Nocturnal Sleep Restriction: Which Nap Duration is Most Recuperative? SLEEP, 29(6), 831โ840. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/29.6.831
[2] Centofanti, S., Banks, S., Coussens, S., Gray, D., Munro, E., Nielsen, J., & Dorrian, J. (2020). A pilot study investigating the impact of a caffeine-nap on alertness during a simulated night shift. Chronobiology International, 37(9โ10), 1469โ1473. https://doi.org/10.1080/07420528.2020.1804922
[3] George, A. S., George, A. H., & Shahul, A. (2024). The science and timing of power naps: investigating the cognitive and physical benefits of brief daytime sleep. Partners Universal Innovative Research Publication, 2(1), 70-84. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10673171
[4] Hayashi, M., Motoyoshi, N., & Hori, T. (2005). Recuperative power of a short daytime nap with or without stage 2 sleep. SLEEP, 28(7), 829โ836. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/28.7.829
[5] Hilditch, C. J., Dorrian, J., & Banks, S. (2017). A review of short naps and sleep inertia: do naps of 30 min or less really avoid sleep inertia and slow-wave sleep? Sleep Medicine, 32, 176โ190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleep.2016.12.016
[6] Sathe, Y., & Nayak, A. A. (2025). Impact of Power Naps on Cognitive Performance and Learning Efficiency: A Data-Driven Study. The Voice of Creative Research, 7(2), 392-396. https://doi.org/10.53032/tvcr/2025.v7n2.48
[7] Signal, T. L., Van Den Berg, M. J., Mulrine, H. M., & Gander, P. H. (2012). Duration of Sleep Inertia after Napping during Simulated Night Work and in Extended Operations. Chronobiology International, 29(6), 769โ779. https://doi.org/10.3109/07420528.2012.686547
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