A short, light sleep lasting only a few minutes, like the brief naps cats take during the day.
From cat + nap, directly referencing cats' famous habit of sleeping frequently in short bursts throughout the day. The term became common in English in the 1800s.
Cats are masters of the catnap—they can fall asleep and wake up refreshed in mere minutes, and neuroscience shows their brains are partially awake during these naps, allowing them to respond to danger instantly. Humans who catnap are channeling feline genius!
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