Effects of community-based daytime napping on cognitive performance and daytime functioning in adolescents with...

Insufficient sleep among adolescents is common and linked to adverse cognitive, emotional and functional outcomes. While daytime napping has been proposed as a compensatory strategy, evidence from real-world settings remains limited and mixed. We conducted a field-based experimental study to investigate the impact of a 30-min lunchtime nap opportunity in a community setting on cognitive performance and daytime functioning in adolescents with insufficient sleep.

Secondary school students aged 12 to 18 with insufficient sleep (average nocturnal sleep <7 h over the past month and scoring ≥15 on the Pediatric Daytime Sleepiness Scale) were recruited. Participants (N = 111, 54% female, mean age 15.7 years) were randomly assigned to a Nap-group (30-min lunchtime nap opportunity at a youth centre nearby their schools, N = 56) or a Wake-group (30-min quiet wake-resting in the same setting, N = 55). Assessments of sleepiness, mood, and cognitive performance were conducted on the same day at baseline, immediately after the nap/wake period, and in the afternoon. Nap sleep was monitored by actigraph.

Compared with the Wake group, the Nap-group reported significantly lower sleepiness, maintained positive affect, and demonstrated improved sustained attention. No significant between-group differences were observed for negative affect, inhibitory control, or emotional conflict control. Daytime nap did not negatively affect subsequent nocturnal sleep.

A brief, community-based lunchtime nap can alleviate daytime impairments associated with insufficient sleep, without disrupting nocturnal sleep. Incorporating well-timed nap opportunities into school and community settings may represent a feasible, scalable strategy to support cognitive and emotional functioning in sleep-deprived youth.