The key to happiness? Taking a power nap ‘boosts your mood and productivity’
Short power naps were found to boost happiness more than a longer snooze
TAKING short naps in the day is the secret to happiness, say scientists.
They have coined a word to describe the contented state after a brief doze — nappiness.
The sleeping habits of more than 1,000 people were measured against how they felt.
Researchers found a clear link between happiness and those who took short naps, compared with those who had longer snoozes or those who never napped.
Psychologist Prof Richard Wiseman, of Hertfordshire University, said: "Previous research has shown naps of under 30 minutes make you more focused, productive and creative.
"These new findings suggest you can also become happier by just taking a short nap.
"But longer napping is associated with health risks and, again, this is in line with our results."
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The study, conducted for the Edinburgh International Science Festival, which begins tomorrow, found 66 per cent of short nappers — those who slept for under 30 minutes at a time — reported feeling happy.
The figure was 56 per cent in long nappers and 60 per cent in those who never took a nap.
Researchers also found 43 per cent of those aged 18 to 30 took long naps during the day, compared with just 30 per cent of those over 50.
Prof Wiseman added: "Short naps boost performance and highly successful companies such as Ben & Jerry's and Google have installed dedicated nap spaces."
A separate Nasa study of military pilots found a 26-minute nap while the co-pilot was in control boosted alertness by 54 per cent.
But frequent hour-long naps are associated with an 82 per cent increase in heart disease risk.