Power nap: the short nap that works (and the science behind it)
Partilhar
In the West, someone who falls asleep at their desk is considered "lazy." In Japan, they might be the most respected professional in the room. There's even a word for dozing off at work: inemuri (居眠り) — a sign of someone who has exhausted themselves giving their all, not of someone who is lazy.
And science is on the "lazy" person's side. A NASA study showed that a 26-minute nap increases performance by 34% and alertness by 54%. That's less time than you'd lose in a meeting that could have been an email.
Why a short nap works
In the middle of the afternoon, the body experiences a natural dip in energy — it's not a lack of coffee, it's your biological clock. A short nap catches that window and gives the brain time to clear accumulated fatigue, without entering deep sleep.
How to nap without waking up groggy
The difference between a good nap and waking up worse lies in the duration:
- 10 to 20 minutes is the sweet spot. You wake up before deep sleep and feel alert.
- Avoid exceeding 30 minutes. You'll enter deep sleep and wake up groggy — this is called sleep inertia.
- Nap early in the afternoon. A nap at 5 p.m. will steal sleep from the night.
- A dark, cool room or corner helps you switch off faster.
Resting is not laziness
We spend a third of our lives sleeping, yet we treat rest as a minor category. Dreamura was born from the opposite idea: taking sleep seriously, with the dignity of a simple Japanese concept — what's necessary, well-made, manufactured in Portugal. A good nap starts with having the right place to take one: check out our sleep hygiene guide.
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