Yes, naps are beneficial: how long they should last depends on what you want to strengthen

Sleep is one of the most important activities for the human body , because it allows the body to recover and renew the strength and energy necessary to perform daily activities.

The time required for this important activity varies depending on a person's age, the work they do, and other factors. See more: Don't snooze your alarm: The negative effects it would have on your rest and mood.

In this sense, it's well known that siestas (i.e., short sleeps) are restorative for continuing the day . For example, in Colombia, it's common for people—especially in hot-weather areas—to take a nap after lunch; there are even some businesses and establishments that close their doors between 12 noon and 2 p.m.

Benefit for cognitive development?

According to a study titled 'The Effects of Napping on Cognitive Functioning,' it was shown that taking a nap could aid cognitive development.

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According to research, " naps can reduce sleepiness and improve cognitive performance ." The benefits of short naps (5-15 minutes) are felt almost immediately and can last for a limited period of between 1 and 3 hours.

In the case of longer naps (more than 30 minutes), these can produce impairment " due to sleep inertia for a short period after waking, but then produce an improvement in cognitive performance for a longer period (up to several hours) ."

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According to the study, there are other factors that affect the benefits of napping. This includes the time of day at which the nap is taken: " Such as circadian timing, with early afternoon being the most favorable time. Longer periods of pre-wakefulness favor longer naps over shorter ones ."

Regular nappers appear to show " greater benefits than infrequent nappers . However, these findings should be accepted with caution until more comprehensive research programs that vary all of these parameters are conducted ," indicates the research conducted by Nicole Lovato and León Lack. This means that depending on the amount of time you sleep, you improve:

- 10 minutes: Immediate alert - 30 minutes: More memory

- 90 minutes: Complete sleep

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Thus, the study notes that " a new biological process suggests that sleep onset followed by as little as 7-10 minutes of sleep can result in a substantial increase in alertness, as it allows for the rapid dissipation of inhibition in wake-active cells associated with the sleep-switch mechanism, rather than the dissipation " of the so-called S-Process.

That said, taking a nap can help a person perform better in their activities. See more: Cheaper? Tips for getting better-priced flights this holiday season, according to AI

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