London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

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.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×