The Power of a Tiny Nap:
Why Even a Few Minutes Can Make a Difference
Sleep can feel like a luxury, especially if you’re caring for little ones who need support overnight, working unpredictable shifts or simply balancing too much at once. For many, the idea of getting a solid 7-9 hours feels laughable, and even a full hour-long nap is out of reach. But what if even the shortest nap could actually help?
The good news is, science says it can. Let’s talk about micro-naps, power naps and everything in between and why they matter, especially if sleep is scarce.
The Reality: Sleep is Hard to Come By
For parents, caregivers, or anyone in a demanding phase of life, sleep can feel like something you’re constantly chasing but never quite catching. Night wakings, bedtime routines with young people, middle-of-the-night feeds, insomnia can all take up many of those night hours. This makes daytime naps, even very short ones, a potential lifeline.
The trick? Knowing that every nap has value, even if it’s just a few minutes long.
Image from Canva, by jsnover from Getty Images
You may also be interested in some of my other blogs on sleep like 'The Need for Co-regulation Doesn’t Stop at Night' and 'Going to Bed for Any Other Reason than Sleep: Taking the Pressure Off'
What Different Nap Lengths Can Do For You
Let’s break it down. Here’s what different nap lengths offer, and why you might want to grab whatever you can get:
Nap Length Benefits
Below is a downloadable table that summarises the following discussion about the benefits of different nap lengths
Taking a Closer Look
5-10 Minutes: The Micro-Nap
Perfect for: Those “I just need to close my eyes for a sec” moments.
Benefits:
✅ Quick reduction in stress
✅ Slight boost in alertness
✅ Can feel like hitting a mini-reset button
Why it works: Even a few minutes of rest signals to your nervous system that you’re safe enough to relax. While you won’t hit deep sleep, you’re still giving your brain a breather.
10-20 Minutes: The Power Nap
Perfect for: Midday slumps, after lunch or when you have a small window between tasks.
Benefits:
✅ Improved focus and concentration
✅ Increased energy
✅ Better mood
Why it works: This keeps you in the lighter stages of sleep, giving your brain enough rest to feel refreshed without dipping so deep that you wake up groggy.
30 Minutes: The Tricky One
Perfect for: When you have a bit longer but not enough for a full sleep cycle.
Benefits:
✅ Memory boost
✅ Creative thinking support
Why it’s tricky: At this length, you’re more likely to hit deeper sleep stages and if you wake up during those, you might feel worse (that awful groggy, disoriented feeling called sleep inertia). But if this is all you can get, it’s still better than nothing and your body will thank you.
60 Minutes: Deep Rest
Perfect for: Days when you’re utterly exhausted and can actually carve out an hour.
Benefits:
✅ Deep sleep for physical recovery
✅ Solid boost to memory and learning
✅ Helps compensate for lost night sleep
Why it’s not always possible: Let’s be real, an hour-long nap can feel like an impossible luxury if you’ve got young children, demanding work or care responsibilities. But if you can make it happen, it’s powerful.
90 Minutes: The Full Sleep Cycle
Perfect for: Rare opportunities to fully reset.
Benefits:
✅ Full cycle of light, deep, and REM sleep
✅ Emotional processing and creative problem-solving
✅ Physical recovery
Why it’s a dream (literally): This is gold-standard napping, but it’s also rare if you’re sleep-deprived and have responsibilities calling. Still, knowing this is the target can help you aim for it when you do get a bigger window.
But What If You Only Have 2-5 Minutes?
Even pausing to close your eyes without fully falling asleep can be restorative. This is called a waking rest or quiet wakefulness. You’re giving your brain a break from stimulation, and that alone can help lower stress hormones and recharge your focus.
Small Naps Add Up
For anyone who’s caring for babies, toddlers, or anyone needing overnight support, sleep often comes in pieces. To help support you, a string of micro-naps throughout the day can actually add up to meaningful rest. No, it’s not the same as a solid 8 hours, but it’s a lot better than powering through exhaustion with nothing.
Napping Tips for the Sleep-Deprived
Set a timer — This helps avoid the dreaded “oversleep and wake up groggy” trap.
Create a mini-ritual — Even just grabbing a blanket, turning off a light, or closing your eyes in a comfy chair helps your body get the message.
Guilt-free rest — This is the big one. If you’re caring for others, you need and deserve rest too. Even 5 minutes.Especially 5 minutes.
Final Thought
In a perfect world, we’d all get the sleep we need. In reality, life can be busy and full on and sometimes, rest has to come in scraps. The beautiful thing is, those scraps still matter. So next time you feel too tired to function, give yourself permission to take that 5, 10, or 20 minutes. It’s not just self-care, it’s survival.
Thank you for reading,
Laura Hellfeld
RN, MSN, PHN, CNL
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References and Resources
Sleep Misfits: The reality of Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome & Non-24, Book Compiled by Sally Cat
Going to Bed for Any Other Reason than Sleep: Taking the Pressure Off, Blog
DSPS (delayed sleep phase syndrome), Facebook group
DSPS (Delayed-Sleep-Phase-Syndrome) and Non 24 Hour Family Support Group, Facebook group
I can’t function without at the very least an hour nap. I am lucky enough that I can get a Gold Standard nap at least 3 days a week, when my dog goes to play group with the wonderful dog walker. I have found a 5-10 minute rest with my eyes shut really helps on busy days. For those I put a cold pack on my eyes and forehead, sometimes on my neck also. It helps my nervous system relax while staying awake. It’s great when I have a really bad headache too.
Good explanation .