Sleep only happens when we are sleepy enough for sleep and the only thing that creates sleepiness is wakefulness. In other words, you need to be awake for long enough in order to get sleepy enough for sleep.
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The longer we go without sleep, the stronger our urge for sleep becomes — this is known as sleep drive (or sleep pressure). Sleep drive starts off low at the start of the day and gradually becomes stronger as the day progresses.
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When we nap during the day, we reduce this sleep drive — and that can make it harder to sleep at night. Even though a short nap might only reduce sleep drive by a small amount, the remaining period of wakefulness before bed may not be enough to build sleep drive to a level needed for sleep (especially if you have a lot of sleep-related worry and anxiety).
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Let's say you currently sleep around five hours per night — this means you need 19 hours of prior wakefulness to get those five hours of sleep (24 - 5 = 19). If you nap and wake up six hours before you are due to go to bed, you will no longer be able to obtain 19 hours of continuous wakefulness before going to bed at night. The result is often lighter sleep and early morning awakenings.
Here's another way of looking at this. Let's say you feel as though you need about seven hours of sleep each night to feel good during the day. If you take a two-hour nap, you are taking that time away from your nightly sleep requirement — so you now have only five hours remaining for nighttime sleep (7 - 2 = 5).
Naps are a bit like snacking just before dinner. They feel good and take the edge off our hunger, but we can then struggle to enjoy the meal we (or a loved one) have spent time preparing!
If you are able to avoid napping (especially after a bad night) you will be using the sleep deprivation created from a bad night to your advantage — by making sleep more likely the next night due to a much stronger sleep drive. This will also help you pair the bed and your bedroom with sleep which is important if you want to improve your sleep over the long term.
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With all this being said, safety trumps everything. So, if you feel excessively sleepy during the day and think you might fall asleep without warning, a brief safety nap is appropriate. It's usually best to take daytime naps as early in the day as possible and to limit them to no longer than around 20 minutes — be sure to set an alarm!
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My name is Martin Reed and I am the founder of Insomnia Coach®. I offer sleep coaching services that give people with insomnia all the skills and support they need to enjoy better sleep for the rest of their lives. I also offer a free two-week sleep training course for people with insomnia at [ Ссылка ]
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All content found on the Insomnia Coach YouTube channel is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not medical advice or medical treatment and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, or medical condition. It should never replace any advice given to you by your physician or other licensed healthcare provider. All content is provided as is, and without warranties.
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