{"id":418,"date":"2020-07-03T13:43:03","date_gmt":"2020-07-03T13:43:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sleeping.guide\/?p=418"},"modified":"2023-06-20T09:08:49","modified_gmt":"2023-06-20T13:08:49","slug":"tired-after-naps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sleeping.guide\/tired-after-naps\/","title":{"rendered":"Feeling Tired After Naps? Here\u2019s What Might Be Going Wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A quick nap is usually<\/em> one of the best ways to shake off a bit of tiredness during a long day. But sometimes we can wake up feeling even worse than before. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n So what\u2019s going wrong?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, I\u2019ll explore into all the different reasons why you might be feeling tired after a nap. Let\u2019s dive right in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s (finally) becoming common knowledge that we tend to sleep in cycles. Lasting approximately 90 minutes, these cycles consist of various sleep stages that go deeper and deeper \u2013 the deepest being REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whenever we sleep or nap, we want to wake up when we\u2019re in one of the lighter stages. Being awoken when you\u2019re deep into REM sleep is what can make you feel like a zombie. Your brain\u2019s basically pissed off because it was right in the good bit and you woke it up!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Basically, you want to be aiming to nap for one of three timings:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Problems arise when people get woken up sometime between the 50-80 minute mark (or beyond the 90 minute mark) which jars them out of a deep sleep cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Say you\u2019re super tired, but you have an important test or meeting at 2pm. Luckily, you\u2019re going to have time for a quick 20 minute nap at some point in the day. When\u2019s the best time to take it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surely it\u2019s at 1pm, right? Just before the test or meeting?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Surprisingly, this is possibly the worst<\/u> time to nap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s why:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The effects of tiredness are exponential. In other words, if you compare someone who hasn\u2019t slept in 48 hours compared to someone who hasn\u2019t slept in 24 hours, the person who has stayed up longer will be MORE than 2x as affected. The longer you stay up, the more quickly your brain and body deteriorate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n By timing naps early, we help to prevent this deterioration early. This will keep you better able to handle an event than if you had napped right before it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here\u2019s what I mean in graph form. The three different lines represent your (approximate) fatigue as the day goes on. Assuming we start fatiguing around noon.<\/p>\n\n\n1 \u2013 You\u2019re Over Doing Your Naps<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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2 \u2013 You\u2019re Napping Too Late<\/h2>\n\n\n\n