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Nap Timer
Tap a nap length, add a few minutes for falling asleep, choose a gentle alarm and press Start before you lie down.
20 minutes
Spacestart / pauseRresetFfull screen+ −add or remove a minute0–9type a time
The shortest nap that still helps. You stay in light sleep and get up clear-headed.
The usual power nap. Set 25–30 minutes if you need time to fall asleep.
The edge of deep sleep. Use it as 20 minutes of sleep plus 10 to drift off.
About one full sleep cycle, so you wake from lighter sleep again. For catching up, not a lunch break.
Best nap length: what each one does
| Nap length | What happens | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 10 minutes | Light sleep only; you wake easily | A fast reset when time is short |
| 20 minutes | Light sleep, over before deep sleep starts | The standard power nap |
| 30 minutes | Deep sleep may be starting; some grogginess | 20 minutes asleep plus time to drift off |
| 45–60 minutes | Likely deep sleep; grogginess on waking | Usually worth avoiding |
| 90 minutes | About one full sleep cycle, back to light sleep | Catching up after a short night |
Lengths are time asleep and describe a typical adult. Sleep cycles vary from person to person and from day to day, so treat them as guides and adjust by a few minutes if you keep waking groggy.
How to use it
- Tap a nap length. The 20 min power nap is selected because that is the usual advice for a quick daytime boost.
- Add the time you need to fall asleep. That is 5 to 10 minutes for most people, so set 25 to 30 minutes with the steppers for a 20-minute nap, or tap +1:00 after you start.
- Choose a soft alarm sound such as Gentle rise, Birdsong or Harp, press Test, and raise the volume until you are sure it will reach you across the room.
- Plug the device in, switch on Keep screen on, leave this tab open and press Start. Lie down somewhere dim and quiet.
- Get up when the alarm sounds, open the curtains and move around. Going back for “five more minutes” is how a short nap turns into a long, groggy one.
How long should a nap be
Sleep moves through stages. The first 10 to 20 minutes are light sleep, which is easy to wake from, and that is why a short nap is the usual advice for a quick boost. Somewhere around 30 to 60 minutes you are likely to be in deep sleep. An alarm that goes off then leaves you heavy and slow, a state called sleep inertia, and it can take up to half an hour or so to clear.
After about 90 minutes most adults have gone through roughly one full sleep cycle and are back in lighter sleep, so waking is easier again. A 90 minute nap suits a day after a badly broken night. It is too much for an ordinary lunch break and can push your bedtime later.
When to nap, and the coffee nap
Early afternoon is the natural slot, when alertness dips after lunch. For people on a usual daytime schedule, napping after about 3 pm tends to eat into night sleep, so keep late naps short or skip them.
A coffee nap is a popular trick: drink a cup of coffee, then lie down straight away for 15 to 20 minutes. Caffeine takes about 20 minutes to take effect, so it arrives as the alarm does. If you are sleepy most days despite a full night in bed, or you need long naps to get through the day, mention it to a doctor, because regular heavy daytime sleepiness is worth checking.
Common mistakes
- Setting 45 minutes “to be safe”. It lands in the middle of deep sleep, and you wake feeling worse than before you lay down.
- Counting the nap from the moment you set the timer. If you take 10 minutes to fall asleep, a 20-minute timer gives you 10 minutes of sleep.
- Napping in the early evening. It takes the edge off the tiredness you need at bedtime.
- Trusting a browser tab on a phone that locks itself. A web page cannot wake a sleeping or locked phone, so for anything you must not miss, set a phone alarm as well.
Questions people ask
How long should a power nap be?
About 10 to 20 minutes of sleep. That keeps you in light sleep, so you wake clear-headed. Add 5 to 10 minutes for falling asleep and set the timer to 25 or 30.
Why do I feel worse after a 30 to 60 minute nap?
You probably woke from deep sleep. The heavy, foggy feeling is sleep inertia and can last up to half an hour or so. Shorten the nap to 20 minutes or lengthen it to about 90.
Is a 90 minute nap a good idea?
It can be after a short night, because 90 minutes is roughly one full sleep cycle and you wake from lighter sleep. Take it in the early afternoon; later than that it can make it harder to fall asleep at night.
What is a coffee nap?
Drinking coffee right before a 15 to 20 minute nap. Caffeine needs about 20 minutes to take effect, so the idea is that it starts working as you wake.
Will this nap alarm go off if my phone screen locks?
Not reliably. The page must stay open on a device that is awake, so turn on Keep screen on and plug it in. For a nap you cannot afford to oversleep, set your phone’s own alarm too.