Nap planning guide
Nap calculator
Choose a nap length, allow time to fall asleep and set an alarm that does not interfere with your main sleep schedule.
Common nap lengths
Short nap: about 10–20 minutes
A brief nap may improve alertness while reducing the chance of waking from deeper sleep.
Longer nap: about 90 minutes
This is often used as an approximate full-cycle target, but real cycle length varies. Allow additional time to fall asleep.
Calculate your nap wake time
Add your planned nap duration and your usual fall-asleep time to the current clock time. For example, a 20-minute nap with a 10-minute settling period means setting the alarm about 30 minutes from now.
Protect nighttime sleep
If naps make it harder to fall asleep at night, try an earlier or shorter nap. Frequent overwhelming daytime sleepiness can be a reason to speak with a healthcare professional.
Do not rely on a nap calculator when safety depends on alertness, such as before driving or operating machinery.