Should you take naps?
Chris and Xand explore why we nap, if it’s actually good for us, and whether we should all be making time for it.
Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken tackle the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.
In this episode, they’re asking, what’s the deal with naps? Some people nod off in minutes, while others can’t manage it at all. So why is napping so different from person to person? Is it actually good for us? Is there a “right” way to nap - and should we all be making time for it? Also, they uncover what’s really happening inside the brain when we drift off.
To help answer these questions, they’re joined once again by Russell Foster, Professor of Circadian Neuroscience at the University of Oxford.
If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.
Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken
Guest: Professor Russell Foster
Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis
Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar and Jo Rowntree
Editor: Kirsten Lass
Researcher: Grace Revill
Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable
Social Media: Leon Gower
Digital Lead: Richard Berry
Composer: Phoebe McFarlane
Sound Design: Ruth Rainey
At the BBC:
Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith
Commissioning Editor: Rhian Roberts
A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4
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Credits
| Role | Contributor |
|---|---|
| Presenter | Chris van Tulleken |
| Presenter | Xand van Tulleken |
| Producer | Maia Miller-Lewis |
| Executive Producer | Jo Rowntree |
| Executive Producer | Rami Tzabar |
| Interviewed Guest | Kathy Willis |
| Editor | Kirsten Lass |
| Researcher | Grace Revill |
| Composer | Phoebe McFarlane |
| Commissioning Editor | Rhian Roberts |
| Production Company | Loftus Media |
Broadcast
- Tue 21 Oct 202516:30BBC Radio 4
Podcast
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What's Up Docs?
Chris and Xand van Tulleken are on a mission to help us take better care of ourselves.

