Can naps help you make up for missed sleep? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

Can you count naps in your daily sleep total? Dr. Mallika Marshall answers your questions

BOSTON - Dr. Mallika Marshall is answering your latest health questions. If you have a question, email her or message her on Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter).

RP writes, "As I get older, I find that a nice afternoon nap hits the spot. When it comes to logging a healthy amount of sleep, can I count naps?"

Naps are a great way to improve your level of alertness, elevate mood, enhance memory, and perhaps reduce stress. Ideally, you want to nap for no more than 20 to 30 minutes, so you wake up refreshed and not groggy.

And yes, naps can count toward your overall sleep total, but they won't counter the effects of chronic sleep deprivation.

It's still important to try to get a good night's rest, where you go through all the stages of sleep, including deep sleep, which helps the brain rest and recover.

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Mallika Marshall, MD

Mallika Marshall, MD is an Emmy-award-winning journalist and physician who has served as the HealthWatch Reporter for CBS Boston/WBZ-TV for over 20 years. A practicing physician Board Certified in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Dr. Marshall serves on staff at Harvard Medical School and practices at Massachusetts General Hospital at the MGH Chelsea Urgent Care and the MGH Revere Health Center, where she is currently working on the frontlines caring for patients with COVID-19. She is also a host and contributing editor for Harvard Health Publications (HHP), the publishing division of Harvard Medical School.

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