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The Art of the Perfect Nap Reading Answers

Bhaskar Das

Jul 24, 2025

The Art of the Perfect Nap Reading Answers contain 14 questions and belong to the assessment system of the IELTS General Reading test. The Art of the Perfect Nap Reading Answers must be answered within 20 minutes. In this IELTS reading section, question types include: Choose the appropriate letters, Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each and Complete the summary using the list of words below.

The Art of the Perfect Nap Reading Answers offers a comprehensive overview of how to nap effectively to boost energy, focus, and mood. To practice similar reading tests, candidates can refer to the IELTS Reading Practice Test section.

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Topic:

Done wisely, naps can be a valuable way to boost your focus and energy. A sleep researcher explains how to get it right.

You’re in the middle of the afternoon, eyelids heavy, focus slipping. You close your eyes for half an hour and wake up feeling recharged. But later that night, you’re tossing and turning in bed, wondering why you can’t drift off. That midday snooze which felt so refreshing at the time might be the reason. Naps have long been praised as a tool for boosting alertness, enhancing mood, strengthening memory, and improving productivity. Yet for some, they can sabotage nighttime sleep.

Napping is a double-edged sword. Done right, it’s a powerful way to recharge the brain, improve concentration, and support mental and physical health. Done wrong, it can leave you groggy, disoriented, and struggling to fall asleep later. The key lies in understanding how the body regulates sleep and wakefulness. Most people experience a natural dip in alertness in the early afternoon, typically between 1 pm and 4 pm. This isn’t just due to a heavy lunch—our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, creates cycles of wakefulness and tiredness throughout the day. The early afternoon lull is part of this rhythm, which is why so many people feel drowsy at that time.

Studies suggest that a short nap during this period—ideally followed by bright light exposure—can help counteract fatigue, boost alertness, and improve cognitive function without interfering with nighttime sleep. These “power naps” allow the brain to rest without slipping into deep sleep, making it easier to wake up feeling refreshed. But there’s a catch: Napping too long may result in waking up feeling worse than before. This is due to “sleep inertia”—the grogginess and disorientation that comes from waking up during deeper sleep stages.

Once a nap extends beyond 30 minutes, the brain transitions into slow-wave sleep, making it much harder to wake up. Studies show that waking from deep sleep can leave people sluggish for up to an hour. This can have serious implications if they then try to perform safety-critical tasks, make important decisions, or operate machinery, for example. And if a nap is taken too late in the day, it can eat away from the “sleep build-up”—the body’s natural drive for sleep—making it harder to fall asleep at night.

WHEN NAPPING IS ESSENTIAL:

For some, napping is essential. Shift workers often struggle with fragmented sleep due to irregular schedules, and a well-timed nap before a night shift can boost alertness and reduce the risk of errors and accidents. Similarly, people who regularly struggle to get enough night—whether due to work, parenting, or other demands—may benefit from naps to bank extra hours of sleep to compensate for their sleep loss.

Nonetheless, relying on naps instead of improving nighttime sleep is a short-term fix rather than a sustainable solution. People with chronic insomnia are often advised to avoid naps, as daytime sleep can weaken their drive to sleep at night. Certain groups use strategic napping as a performance-enhancing tool. Athletes incorporate napping into their training schedules to speed up muscle recovery and improve parameters such as reaction times and endurance. Research also suggests that people in high-focus jobs, such as health care workers and flight crews, benefit from brief planned naps to maintain concentration and reduce fatigue-related mistakes. NASA has found that a 26-minute nap can improve performance of long-haul flight operational staff by 34 percent, and alertness by 54 percent.

HOW TO NAP WELL:

To nap effectively, timing and duration matter. Keeping naps between 10 and 20 minutes prevents grogginess. The ideal time is before 2 pm—napping later can push back the body’s natural sleep schedule. The best naps happen in a cool, dark, and quiet environment, under sleep conditions. Eye masks and noise-canceling headphones can help, particularly for those who nap in bright settings. Avoiding caffeine and heavy meals before napping also helps ensure that you’ll fall asleep quickly and rest well. It’s important to give yourself a few minutes to unwind before lying down, as this will help you relax and fall asleep faster. Deep breathing, or a short walk before napping can also help calm your mind.

Despite the benefits, napping is not a one-size-fits-all strategy. Age, lifestyle, and underlying sleep patterns all influence whether naps help or hinder. A good nap is all about you—knowing when, how, and if one should nap at all. For some it’s a life hack, improving focus and energy. For others, even short naps can interfere with nighttime sleep. The key is to experiment and observe how naps affect your overall sleep quality.

Done wisely, naps can be a valuable tool. Done poorly, they might be the reason you’re staring at the ceiling at midnight.

Questions 27-29

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS for each.

27. When are most people naturally sleepy during the day?

Answer: early afternoon

Supporting statement: "Most people experience a natural dip in alertness in the early afternoon, typically between 1 pm and 4 pm."

Keywords: natural dip, alertness, early afternoon

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, line 3

Explanation: The passage explains that the body’s internal clock causes drowsiness during this period, making it a natural time of sleepiness.

28. What is ONE side effect of napping too long?

Answer: sleep inertia

Supporting statement: "This is due to 'sleep inertia'—the grogginess and disorientation that comes from waking up during deeper sleep stages."

Keywords: sleep inertia, grogginess, disorientation

Keyword Location: Paragraph 3, line 5

Explanation: The author mentions that long naps can lead to sleep inertia, a side effect that makes people feel worse upon waking.

29. What kind of sleep may negatively affect employees during the day?

Answer: deep sleep

Supporting statement: "Studies show that waking from deep sleep can leave people sluggish for up to an hour."

Keywords: waking, deep sleep, sluggish

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 1

Explanation: Deep sleep is said to cause grogginess and reduced alertness, which can negatively affect daytime performance.

Questions 30-32

Choose the correct letter.

30. Why does the author claim napping is a double-edged sword?

A. It can regulate sleep and wakefulness.

B. It can help with fatigue or improve thinking.

C. It can make people feel very sleepy afterward.

D. It can either help or hurt a person.

Answer: D. It can either help or hurt a person.

Supporting statement: "Napping is a double-edged sword. Done right... Done wrong..."

Keywords: double-edged sword, done right, done wrong

Keyword Location: Paragraph 2, lines 1–2

Explanation: The phrase "double-edged sword" refers to the fact that napping can be beneficial or harmful depending on how it's done.

31. What can happen when someone naps for a long time?

A. The person might have better concentration.

B. The person could struggle with parenting demands.

C. The person's sleeping pattern may be adversely affected.

D. The person may have improved decision-making.

Answer: C. The person's sleeping pattern may be adversely affected.

Supporting statement: "If a nap is taken too late... making it harder to fall asleep at night."

Keywords: nap too late, harder to fall asleep

Keyword Location: Paragraph 4, line 4

Explanation: Late or long naps can reduce the body’s natural sleep drive, affecting the overall sleep pattern.

32. What should people with chronic insomnia do?

A. They should limit their naps to just half an hour.

B. They should minimize high-focus work.

C. They should refrain from napping.

D. They should add napping to their daily routine.

Answer: C. They should refrain from napping.

Supporting statement: "People with chronic insomnia are often advised to avoid naps..."

Keywords: insomnia, avoid naps

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, line 3

Explanation: The passage clearly advises against napping for those suffering from chronic insomnia, as it can worsen nighttime sleep issues.

Question 33

Choose the correct letter.

33. Which of the following is a possible benefit to athletes when they nap?

A. They might be able to compete longer.

B. They could counteract insomnia.

C. They could avoid sickness.

D. They might be able to slim down faster.

Answer: A. They might be able to compete longer.

Supporting statement: "Athletes incorporate napping... improve parameters such as reaction times and endurance."

Keywords: athletes, endurance

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, line 5

Explanation: One of the benefits of napping for athletes mentioned is improved endurance, which is linked to longer performance capacity.

Questions 34-40

Complete the summary using the list of words below.

The author says that flight crews and (34)...............

Answer: Medical personnel

Supporting statement: "people in high-focus jobs, such as health care workers and flight crews..."

Keywords: health care workers, flight crews

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, line 6

Explanation: Medical personnel, like flight crews, benefit from naps to maintain high concentration and avoid mistakes.

take naps to (35)................

Answer: minimise

Supporting statement: "...to maintain concentration and reduce fatigue-related mistakes."

Keywords: reduce, mistakes

Keyword Location: Paragraph 6, line 7

Explanation: The goal of these naps is to reduce (or minimise) errors during high-focus tasks.

mistakes. The author then suggests a proper method for naps. The (36)..................

Answer: best

Supporting statement: "The ideal time is before 2 pm..."

Keywords: ideal time, before 2 pm

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, line 2

Explanation: The best or optimal time for a nap is earlier in the day, specifically before 2 p.m., to avoid sleep disruption.

time is in the early afternoon to not affect a person's usual sleep (37).................

Answer: pattern

Supporting statement: "...napping later can push back the body’s natural sleep schedule."

Keywords: natural sleep schedule

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, line 2

Explanation: “Pattern” refers to the regular sleep-wake cycle, which can be disrupted by late naps.

Moreover, several things are recommended to ensure a good nap, such as using items to cover the ears and eyes in noisy environments or places with lots of (38)..................

Answer: light

Supporting statement: "...nap in bright settings... Eye masks... can help."

Keywords: bright settings, eye masks

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, lines 3–4

Explanation: Light can interfere with napping, and the use of eye masks helps block it out.

It is also advised that (39)...............

Answer: physical activity

Supporting statement: "Deep breathing, or a short walk before napping can also help calm your mind."

Keywords: walk, calm your mind

Keyword Location: Paragraph 7, last line

Explanation: A short walk, a form of physical activity, is recommended to help induce a more restful nap.

could help relax the mind. However, since everyone is different, people should (40)...........how naps can benefit them.

Answer: test

Supporting statement: "The key is to experiment and observe how naps affect your overall sleep quality."

Keywords: experiment, observe, naps

Keyword Location: Final paragraph, last line

Explanation: The passage encourages individuals to test or experiment with napping to understand how it impacts them personally.

Check IELTS reading samples:

*The article might have information for the previous academic years, please refer the official website of the exam.

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