Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

How long are your afternoon naps? It shouldn’t be more than 30mins, an expert on BBC’s The Science of Sleep says

How long are your afternoon naps? It shouldn’t be more than 30mins, an expert on BBC’s The Science of Sleep says

Stayed up last night to catch up on the hottest drama series? With working from home becoming a norm, chances are, you’ll be tempted to take a nap during your lunch break.

But how long does science say you should actually nap for? If you’re thinking of snoozing the entire lunch hour away, you’re in for a shock.

According to Professor Jason Ellis, Professor in Psychology at Northumbria University and Director of the Northumbria Centre for Sleep Research, the ideal daytime nap length is actually no more than 30 minutes.

“The difficulty is, if you’ve napped for a long time – over 30 minutes – it’s going to detract from the sleep that you get at night,” Prof Ellis says in The Science of Sleep: How to Sleep Better, a new BBC programme on how sleep quality can be improved.

The two-episode programme, which premiered on BBC Earth and BBC Player last Thursday (May 21), followed various people in the UK as they sought professional treatment for their sleep troubles.

It also documented a small-scale sleep deprivation experiment involving four young individuals who usually do not have sleep problems. The two men and two women featured spent 48 hours awake in a luxury home, and were put through various tests to see how extreme lack of sleep affected their ability to function normally.


What to do if you’re sleepy while driving


In one particular test, Prof Ellis puts the participants through a driving simulator test after they’ve gone without sleep for 29 hours.

They are told to keep to a speed of 30 miles/hour (48km/hour), but due to their sleepiness, the participants still found themselves veering off the road. A facial detection system was also used to alert them when they fell into microsleep, which can last anywhere from 5 to 15 seconds.

Drowsy driving (or driving while sleep deprived) has been said to be as dangerous as driving while under the influence of alcohol. The National Sleep Foundation in the US says that driving after being awake for 24 hours is comparable to driving with a blood alcohol level of .10. According to the non-profit, someone with a level of .08 is considered drunk.

In The Science of Sleep, Prof Ellis said drivers who feel sleepy while driving should pull over and have some caffeine before napping for about 20 to 30 minutes. “By the time you wake up, that caffeine will be keeping you alert again,” he said.


Risky behaviour increases when sleep deprived


And because sleep deprivation impairs a person’s ability to make decisions, participants were also found to be more impulsive and took more risks after 38 hours of being awake.

In another test conducted during the programme, three out of four participants made riskier decisions than they did when they were well-rested.

This change in behaviour is caused by less glucose reaching the prefrontal cortex – which controls decision making and impulsiveness – when one is sleep deprived. This means the brain has less energy to think things through properly, so risky behaviour increases.

The programme also suggests that this is probably why impulsive online shopping is more likely to occur between 12am to 6am.

So now you know what to do if you’re trying to save money – get a good night’s rest!

The second and final episode of The Science of Sleep: How to Sleep Better will air at 9.50pm (Singapore time) on May 28 via BBC Earth (StarHub Channel 407) and BBC Player.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
×