One of the most popular posts I have ever written was, “5 Reasons Why You Should Take a Nap Every Day.” This very helpful video provides the scientific reasons why naps are so beneficial and why you shouldn’t sleep longer than 30 minutes. (Thanks to Joey Espinosa for the link.)

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  • Ttheart

    Funny how a video can somtimes convince us of things that we have truly known all along. Thanks…. shhhh I am napping.

  • http://www.thedailyretort.com/ TorConstantino

    Awesome – as the father of a newborn this is advice I need to take (as well as a few power naps)!

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/CVRORGNHDBGJE6SWBFT62SECSI commentman

    My problem is that it would take 20-30 minutes for me to fall asleep if napping. 

    • http://michaelhyatt.com/ Michael Hyatt

      You’d be surprised. You can train yourself to fall asleep quickly. I can go out in less than two minutes. But there’s value in it, even if you just relax and don’t go to sleep. Give it a try!

  • http://findingourwaynow.com/ Susan Cooper

    It’s funny.  When I least expect it I can fall asleep at the drop of a hat. But when I really want to go to sleep It takes me forever.  That said, a good nap can make all the difference in the view of the world… just saying.

  • http://www.Godsgracefulness.com/ Janice

    I like this. Sometimes I take a 2 hour nap and I get groggy. I’ll try a 25 min nap next time.

  • http://www.clayproductions.com/ Aaron Johnson

    The May podcast sold me on napping. It’s made a huge difference for me at work, and I’m so much more engaged when I get home. Thanks Michael. The podcast was both informative and convincing.

  • http://twitter.com/CampClem Gina Cleminson

    Jackpot. Just in time for Sunday afternoon. YES!

  • http://twitter.com/CampClem Gina Cleminson

     Jackpot. Just in time for Sunday afternoon. YES!

  • Sdmadd2

    I don’t see a video.  It just says “advertisement.”

    • http://michaelhyatt.com/ Michael Hyatt

      What kind of browser are you using? I just double-checked, and it is working fine for me. Thanks.

      • Sdmadd2

        Internet Explorer 9.

        • http://michaelhyatt.com/ Michael Hyatt

          Hmmm. Strange. I don’t know what to tell you. I did not get any other complaints.

          • Sdmadd2

            Don’t worry about it.  No biggie.

  • http://michaelwadams.com/ Mike Adams

    I occasionally take a 20-30 nap in my car after lunch when the outdoor temperature is comfortable, and I do find it refreshing. Though, I must admit that I worry about who might see me, and what they’d think. It’s hard to overcome the stigma that a nap at work equates to laziness, even if scientific evidence supports the positive benefits.  

  • http://exciramedia.com/ Shannon Steffen

    Makes perfect sense. I’ve been wondering why my naps seem less efficient when I’ve pushed them from 30 minutes to 45 minutes. It’s time to switch it back. Thanks!

  • http://SourcesOfInsight.com/ JD Meier

    I wonder if our bodies remember nap time from our younger years, and missed it ever since.

    One of my friends in college was a great power napper.

    It took him a while to learn to sleep fast, and wake up fresh, but eventually he did.  However, one thing he ran into over time was he stopped sleeping as well at night, so eventually he gave up his naps.

    He then optimized his sleep at night, and took up meditation during the day.  He said it was better because the same time he used for napping, he now used to clear his mind and invoke his creativity.

    He said meditating helped his mind refresh better than the napping, and he was a masterful chess player, very concious of his mental performance and thinking skills (and his debate skills too.)

  • http://twitter.com/MattMcWilliams2 Matt McWilliams

    Nice! 

    I started taking an early afternoon nap on weekdays about 3 weeks ago thanks to you Michael. I don’t get quite enough sleep on weekdays so usually around 12:30-1:00 when I have been up for about 7 hours I take a nap. This divides my day just about perfectly. I set an alarm just in case for 26 minutes after I lie down. This gives me 4 minutes to think about any heavy thoughts/ideas I might have had during my nap and not just rush back into the day. 

    Usually though I fall asleep somewhere around the 6-8:00 mark and wake up around the 23:00 mark. It’s pretty consistent. A nice 15:00 of actual sleep with some buffer around it for thinking quiet thoughts without the stresses of the day.

  • JasminaBoulanger

    Silence can be quite a gift in out noisy world.  In The Present Age:  On the Death of Rebellion, Soren Kierkegaard noted that ” the introspection of silence is the condition of all educated discourse” and that “talkativeness is afraid of the silence with reveals its emptiness.” 

  • http://www.upperlinefinancial.com H. Jude Boudreaux, CFP®

    I’m a big Tony Schwartz fan and he’s been saying this for years.  20 minutes in the afternoon when I need to recharge makes a huge difference for the rest of the day!

  • warner

    Thanks for the video. I’m a big napper. In fact, it’s honestly my favorite past time (I live a wild life, don’t I?) I’ve been taking naps for about 10 years. I generally nap for about a half hour or an hour and a half (completely through the cycle). Perhaps my hour and a half naps aren’t recommended but for some reason I’m emotionally better off than I am on my half hour naps.

  • http://twitter.com/TheWillCook Will Cook

    Thank You! Now I have proof that I can show my teachers! The first couple of years of college, I would take one to two hour naps and I would always say, “That nap didn’t do anything for me!” Then, in one of my psychology classes, my professor taught us about sleep cycles and napping. I began takeing 30 minute naps and instantly saw a change! Thanks for the post Mr. Hyatt!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_OOA2YN4DDZG7BBVQWBDSW6B5GU Jeff

    absolutely true :) !

  • http://www.lastfm.ru/user/AntonioKidult Anton Gorodetsky

    Michael, thank you for the video! 
    First thing Monday morning I’ll mention the technique to my PR director, we shall see where that one will go :-)

  • Mas Rifqi

    hello, can i know where did you know this result? is it even researched? can you give me the link to the legit journal? i think i’m needing it for undergoing my scientificpaper in national competition.. pretty please??

  • Jamieoo77

    well they have been doing it in Spain, for centuries, especially in the south its called a siesta. The people ive spoke to there have about 30 mins

  • Todd L.

    If I am only planning on taking a 20-30 minute nap I will definitely need to use an alarm; does the type of sound that your alarm makes have an affect on the way you will feel following your nap or the effectiveness of the rest?