Taking a nap during the day is often described as one of the most pleasurable things in life. However, if you struggle with insomnia, this might not be the case. Let’s explore the facts regarding daily naps and the connection with sleeping at night.

The National Sleep Foundation advises people to get 8 hours of sleep during the night.

Now, what exactly are naps? A nap is isolated from the night’s sleep, it can happen anytime during the day and it can last from a couple of minutes to a couple of hours.

The need for naps for adults is the highest between 1 pm and 3 pm.

Why Do You Need Naps?

Most adults’ sleep needs equal 7 to 9 hours at night. But, if you don’t get your needed sleep, you become sleep-deprived. So, if you feel extremely sleepy during the day, it means you aren’t well-rested or your sleep is of poor quality. Poor quality sleep can happen due to undiscovered sleep disorders, such as sleep apnea or narcolepsy.

Insomnia and Naps

People with insomnia don’t report to take daily naps in general. They have problems falling asleep throughout the day. However, if they happen to take a nap, this often negatively affects their nightly sleep.

How Naps Can Affect Sleep

On one hand, a lot of people can take naps without suffering any negative effects on their night’s sleep. This is often the case for sleep-deprived people. For them, it’s even good to catch up on sleep by taking naps. Their health might actually benefit from occasional naps.

On the other hand, there are other types of people that might have problems with taking daily naps. Naps that are longer than 45 minutes, or that take place near your regular bedtime can compromise your ability to fall or stay asleep at night. It can result in insomnia.

According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, people that have poor sleep quality reported having naps most days of the week.

What Should You Do?

The best thing you can do is try to take short naps. It’s ideal to nap for only 15 - 20 minutes. At that time - you rest, recover your energy and give a boost to your brain, but this doesn’t affect your night’s sleep since it’s really short. Moreover, it’s better to take these naps as early in the day as possible. Naps in the early afternoon have the best shot not to undermine your nightly sleep. Avoid taking a nap later in the day.

Also, if you are aware that your body requires 8 hours of sleep, and you spend 2 hours napping during the day, your night’s sleep might be affected. You could experience trouble with falling asleep since your body feels well-rested. You could wake up several times in the night and might not be able to go back to sleep.

Takeaway

Although you might enjoy your daily naps, you should be aware of the possible impact they make on your sleep cycle.

Monitor yourself to recognize whether daily naps influence negatively on your bedtime routine and sleep quality.

If your body needs long naps frequently during the day, think about your sleeping habits. They might need some improvements and stricter schedules.

If you sleep 7 to 9 hours during the night, and you still need naps, consult your doctor because you might have sleep apnea.

Generally, for people that struggle with insomnia, naps are not a good idea.

Yes, naps can be satisfying, but if they cost you your good night’s sleep, they aren’t worth it.