We ask the big questions here, the questions that matter. And today we’ve got a big one: How long do you have to be asleep for it to be defined as a sleep?

Most people need eight hours of sleep to be fully recharged and ready to go. Some need less, others more. But often we don’t get our necessary amount of sleep. So we have naps, shorter periods of sleep. Humans have had naps for years, but what I want to know is how long is a nap?

How long do I need to be asleep for a nap to become a sleep? I like naps, but occasionally I’m so tired that my nap lasts for five or six hours. So, did I have a nap, or a sleep? Or are they the same thing? Have I been having ten hour naps my whole life? What about when I only have a three-hour sleep because I’ve been up all night? Is there a specific time based definition for sleep and naps? What about afternoon naps? What if they’re not in the afternoon? When you wake-up early after a good sleep but decide to go back to sleep for a few extra minutes, does that count as a nap or part of your sleep?