I Cannot Give Up My Nap

I want to write a little bit about naps, since I have found in my clinical practice, that this can be a point of contention.  Most insomnia sufferers sleep better at night by avoiding daytime naps.  When I say most, it is about 80%.  Twenty percent, however, report sleeping better at night when they have a nap.  


How could this be when we know that more active alert time helps us build up our deep sleep drive?  Well, for those insomnia sufferers who are particularly anxious, sometimes a daytime nap can help ease some of the anxiety. Their anxiety is eased because, for them, knowing that they already had some sleep that day, or that they will be able to nap the next day, makes them feel calmer.  If you are one that feels less anxious when you have a nap, then keep your nap, but lets go over some guidelines for napping.  

1. Do not nap for more than about an hour.  A longer nap has a better chance of interfering with your night time sleep.  

1. Do not nap too late in the day.  If you nap later in the day, say past about 4pm, you are more likely to fall into a deeper stage sleep.  This will not only leave you feeling groggy when you wake up, but it will also interfere with your deep sleep drive, and night time sleep. 

1. Do not nap randomly.  Do not nap if you had a poor night sleep the night before in an attempt to make up for your lost sleep.  Napping randomly disrupts your circadian rhythms and could perpetuate, or worsen the insomnia.  If you must nap, nap on a regular basis and make it apart of your circadian rhythm.  A siesta if you will :) 

Be mindful of naps if you do need them!  Until next time… Dr. B


References
​
Perl, J. (1993). Sleep Right in Five Nights: A clear and effective guide for conquering insomnia. New York, NY: William Morrow and Company, Inc.

Danforth, M. (2018). Treating Insomnia: Evidence-based strategies to help your clients sleep. Presentation, New Jersey. 
​