All naps from 10 to 60 minutes had clear benefits (Picture: Getty)

Feeling a little tired this Sunday?

After the candle has burned on both sides all week, nothing is more satisfying than a nap on the couch.

And your nap not only keeps you fit until bedtime, it can also improve your memory and mood.

Research shows that a nap of just 30 minutes can improve your mood, memory and alertness for up to four hours after waking up.

Sounds like a nice reward to us.

The National University of Singapore research also shows that even shorter 10-minute naps can reduce drowsiness and also improve mood.

But you need the longer half-hour nap to kick-start memory encoding — the process of absorbing and understanding new information.

The scientists analyzed 32 young adults who were asked to sleep for 10, 30 and 60 minutes on different days.

Mood, subjective sleepiness and cognitive performance were measured at intervals of five, 30, 60 and 240 minutes after waking to compare the sustained benefits of different naps.

Compared to staying awake, all 10 to 60 minute naps had clear benefits.

The 10-minute nap was the best option if you want to avoid what’s known as “drowsiness” — that weird feeling of drowsiness after you wake up not knowing who, what, or where you are.

This sleep delay caused a temporary drop in performance in the subjects, but the effects wore off within 30 minutes of waking up.

Dr. Ruth Leong, research associate at the Center for Sleep and Cognition at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, said: “Many are aware of the benefits of napping, but pressures to optimize time in the workday limit the feasibility for some to sleep regularly. nap. .

“We had to ask, is there a recommended length for an afternoon nap that strikes a balance between practicality and meaningful benefits?”

“While no clear ‘winning’ nap duration has been found, a 30-minute nap seems to provide the best compromise between practicality and utility.”