Nappiness: Short Naps During Afternoon Are The Key To Happiness

Napping less than 30 minutes during the afternoon improves the sense of well-being and boosts performance, a new study has found out. The researchers have also coined a new term to describe the satiated feeling after a short doze -- nappiness.

"Previous research has shown that naps of under 30 minutes make you more focused, creative and productive,” said Professor Richard Wiseman, from the U.K.’s University of Hertfordshire, according to a Net Doctor report. “These new findings suggest that you can also become happier by just taking a short nap."

The professor also added that though short naps make a person happier, longer naps can have the opposite effect on a person. Those who dozed off for a longer period in the afternoon were found to be less happy than those who did not nap at all. Furthermore, longer napping is also associated with several health risks. Prolonged napping is related to an 82 percent higher chance in the risk of heart disease.

According to The Telegraph, the study was conducted for the Edinburgh International Science Festival, and over 1,000 people took part in it. The scores for happiness were obtained from replies to psychological questions in a survey held online. The participants were also asked about the details of their napping habits. The results showed that 56 percent of long nappers and 60 percent of those who never napped were comparatively less happier than two-thirds of the short nappers.

Professor Wiseman also added that many extremely successful organizations, such as Google, have installed dedicated nap spaces. Furthermore, employees have to wake up to the advantages of napping at work. A study conducted by the American space agency also backs up the recent research. NASA carried a test on sleepy military pilots and found that a quick nap of 26 minutes, while the plane is controlled by the co-pilot, increased alertness by 54 per cent.