---
title: Napping Increases Afternoon Performance By 35%
date: 2025-08-23T04:00:36.039131
author: Charlie M.
category: SIGNAL
---
So, I was scrolling through Instagram again—yeah, I know, it's turning into a bit of a habit. Anyway, I came across this post about how taking a nap can increase your afternoon performance by something like, I think it said, 35%? I mean, I've heard this kind of stuff before, but I never really paid attention. Who even measures things like that, right? But maybe there's something to it.
I've always been a bit of a nap skeptic. Something about the whole sleep inertia thing, where you wake up and feel like a total zombie, makes me question if it really works. Like, you lie down hoping for a quick recharge, and then bam, time's up, and you're groggier than before. It's weird. There are studies, I think, maybe by NASA? About astronauts napping and alertness restoration or whatever. It sounds legit when astronauts do it, but I'm not so sure how it translates to us average Earth dwellers.
Anyway, I tried it the other day. I was feeling that post-lunch slump, you know, where you’re just staring at the screen with your eyes glazing over. Decided, why not give this napping thing a try? Set my timer for 20 minutes—because that's the magic number, right?—and just laid there. I’m not sure if I actually slept but when the alarm went off, I didn’t feel like jumping into work straight away. Maybe my body didn't get the memo about the 35% boost, or maybe I just need practice? I don’t know.
Chronobiology... I think that’s the term? It’s about how our internal clocks affect stuff like naps, and I guess if I were more disciplined about it, maybe I’d see better results. But who can really tell when the right time is? There's sunlight, the circadian rhythms, and then there's just life happening. Sometimes, my brain just wants to go full potato mode and scrolling wins over napping.
On another note, there's that whole thing about deleting apps to be more productive. I did that once—like, wiped out social media for a week. Did I feel more alert? Maybe? It’s hard to say because productivity feels like this nebulous thing, always just out of reach. I kind of wonder if the same goes for naps. Like, should I be tracking my output post-nap? But who has the time or energy for that?
I keep circling back to whether naps are the answer or just another procrastination tool. The whole mechanism is still a fuzzy science to me—are we just tricking ourselves into thinking we’re recharged because science says so? It’s like a placebo, maybe? I’m no expert, just someone with a smartphone addiction trying to navigate the afternoon slump.
The truth is, I don't have all the answers. Maybe no one does. But I guess the next time I see another one of those posts, I might give napping another shot. Or not. It’s a mystery wrapped in a sleep experiment. That’s all I’ve got for now, but maybe that’s okay.