During discussion with patients, they may share their struggles with both getting enough sleep and staying asleep. Some may say they rely on naps to maintain alertness throughout the day.

And the link between sleep and weight is undeniable.

Lack of sleep often triggers strong cravings, especially for high‑fat, high‑sugar snacks, Fariha Abbasi-Feinberg explained. “It ramps up brain reward systems and endocannabinoids, making junk food even more appealing while weakening self-control,” said Abbasi-Feinberg, MD, medical director of sleep medicine at Millennium Physician Group in Fort Myers, Florida.

Although diagnosing the underlying causes for sleep loss are important, providing approachable guidance to patients is also beneficial. In the US, it’s been reported that about a third of adults regularly partake in a midday snooze, cited The National Sleep Foundation.

Most adults need at least 7 hours of quality sleep each night, said John Saito, MD, a sleep medicine doctor at Pulmonary & Sleep Disorder Consultants in Fountain Valley, California, who is also a spokesperson for the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM). “When people consistently get too little sleep or their sleep is disrupted, it’s common to feel sleepy during the day and want a nap,” he said.

Short naps (15-30 minutes) are completely normal and can help mood, alertness, and cognitive function when aligned with your body’s natural circadian rhythm dip in the daytime, Saito said.

“However, in our current epidemic of chronic insufficient sleep, people take long naps (more than30 minutes) or, in fact, try to pay back their sleep debt with short sleep periods (more than 90 minutes),” he said. “In this situation, while it may provide temporary daytime relief of their excessive daytime sleepiness and improve brain function, it may exacerbate underlying circadian rhythm dysfunction and worsen their insomnia, which ultimately exacerbates their chronic insufficient sleep.”

Also, if someone frequently feels the need to nap despite allowing enough time for sleep at night, it’s important to discuss those symptoms with a healthcare professional or a sleep medicine physician to identify and address the underlying causes, such as obstructive sleep apnea and periodic limb movement disorders, Saito said.

Taking all of this into account, if your patients are in relatively good health, brief daytime catnaps may offer benefits. But there are also guidelines to share with patients about excessive napping and diagnosis of underlying sleep issues. Consider these guidance points from three sleep medicine specialists.

Delve Deeper Into Nap Causes

The range of patients you assist in primary care extends from those with situational sleep challenges to chronic sleep conditions, to frail or older adults who may need additional considerations. During your assessments, work with your patient to explore causes and methodologies.

Naps Are Not a Solution

It’s important to emphasize that napping alone is not a replacement for healthy and sufficient sleep, which is why it’s considered “supplementary” to a healthy sleep routine for most adults, said Nitun Verma, MD, a sleep medicine doctor in Palo Alto, California, and a spokesperson with the AASM.

Here are some things to explore with patients struggling with sleep.

Situational events can affect naps. For example, if there’s a college student who is chronically sleep deprived from studying, taking brief naps will not make the student feel healthier or more awake in the long term compared with a good night’s rest, said Verma. Sleep is one of the three pillars of a healthy lifestyle, in addition to regular exercise and a well-balanced diet. “Consistent, sufficient sleep is crucial and should be prioritized over taking naps,” he said.

Shorter naps can be effective. Advise patients if they nap, it’s best to do it in the early afternoon when they feel a natural increase in sleepiness from daily activities. The AASM recommends any time between 1-4 PM, and to keep it brief.

The benefits of a short nap. The “optimal” duration of a nap is 10-20 minutes because an individual is more likely to stay in early stages of sleep and wake up feeling refreshed, Verma said. Longer naps, 30-minutes or more, are more likely to wade into deep sleep, making an individual feel groggier when they wake up and impeding any potential benefits, he said.

Ultimately, the duration of naps and their capacity to enhance mood, energy, or concentration varies among individuals and is influenced by overall sleep patterns.

Potential Disadvantages of Napping

Excessive daytime sleepiness, or consistently needing naps to get through the day, may be indicative of another health or sleep issue that deserves proper attention and evaluation.

“This is why it’s so important for healthcare providers to discuss patients’ sleep habits during regular check-ups,” Verma said.

Excessively long naps may interfere with the circadian rhythm, thereby compromising a patient’s ability to get adequate sleep during the night.

“Consistency is key to sleep health, so anything that disrupts your routine may be detrimental to your overall health and wellbeing,” he noted.

Are Power Naps Really Dreamy?

The term “power nap” has become a bit of a catchphrase touted to refresh one’s mind and body, particularly in settings of work or social contexts.

“While a brief ‘power’ nap can improve daytime alertness and performance, naps of 30 minutes or longer may cause someone to feel groggy when they wake up. This grogginess is called ‘sleep inertia,’ and it can delay the performance benefits of a nap,” said Verma.

Napping is healthy and normal, if you’re still getting the recommended 7 or more hours of sleep each night, said Jocelyn Y Cheng, MD, a neurologist who is board-certified in epilepsy, sleep medicine ,and neurophysiology, based in New Jersey, who is also a spokesperson for the AASM.

Napping Directions for Specific Patient Populations

Within your practice, certain patient populations are more likely to benefit, and perhaps more likely to need naps. These patient situations may necessitate specialized assessment.

Patients who are recovering from an injury or illness. Napping may be restorative and can help improve immunity or help boost energy, Cheng said.

Expectant mothers. There is also evidence supporting short naps for pregnant women that experience insomnia during their second trimester, said Cheng.

Older adults. Some research cites how brief naps can improve cognitive decline for older adults, particularly those who reside in a community setting.

Why Finding the Underlying Cause of Sleepiness Is Vital

Brief early afternoon naps, as described above, can be helpful for some individuals but should not be used to compensate for inadequate or insufficient sleep, said Cheng. “If poor quality or insufficient sleep is a problem, then that should be addressed first,” said Cheng. “Naps should be used to supplement good sleep, not compensate for poor sleep.”

Cheng reported being senior director of clinical research neuroscience at Eisai. Verma and Saito reported having no discourses.