Do You Take Naps? – Survey of the Day

I was never a napper before I got into morning radio, now an afternoon nap is a must. I believe it becomes necessary when your body gets used to doing it everyday, and to be honest I wish I could go without a nap. I always wake up regretting wasting part of my day, but if I don't take it I drag my back side the rest of the day. Come to find out, a nap may actually be good for you if you do it right. Do you nap?

According to Men's Health magazine a midday doze does not make you old. It makes you smart. A City University of New York study found that people who nap have sharper memories. But not just any nap will do: Use this guide to find your sweet spot:

• 10 minutes -- A quick fix. napping for 10 minutes immediately wards off fatigue and boosts brain power for at least 2 and a half hours, an Australian study found. A 5 minute nap is no help.
• 20 minutes -- Delayed benefits. Doubling down will improve your reaction time and performance on alphanumeric task. But not right away it takes at least 35 minutes to shake off the post-nap mental fog from "taking 20."
• 30 minutes -- A healthy boost. You will feel drowsy for about 5 minutes afterward, but then more mentally fit for 90 minutes. Still, a 10 minute nap is better; you avoid the hangover effect of a deeper sleep.
• 45 to 90 minutes -- No help. During a 45 minute to 90 minute nap, you drift into deep sleep without completing a full sleep cycle. "You will often feel worse after you wake up than before," says sleep expert W. Christopher Winter, M.D.
• 90 to 110 minutes -- Sings of trouble. The average person's sleep cycle last 90 minutes, the ideal duration for a longer snooze. But habitual long napping may be a sign of a sleep disorder, Dr. Winter says.