{"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

1 \u2013 You\u2019re Over Doing Your Naps<\/h2>\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

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  1. 20 minutes. This is the best time to aim for if you\u2019re wanting a quick \u2018power nap\u2019. It\u2019s enough to let your brain recover and feel some real benefit. While you may want to keep sleeping, waking up from a 20 minute nap shouldn\u2019t make you feel more groggy or tired than before.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. 40-45 minutes. This is the maximum for a \u2018short\u2019 nap. At this point you should catch yourself before any of the deepest sleep happens, while still enjoying a significant amount of sleep.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. 90 minutes. For those in need of serious catch up, aim to get a full 90 minute sleep cycle. This should let you a huge boost to your day, without the pain of waking up halfway through the deepest part.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\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

    2 \u2013 You\u2019re Napping Too Late<\/h2>\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\n

    \n
    \"Effect
    Tiredness is exponential. The earlier you nap, the better the tiredness prevention. (Illustration only)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

    Don\u2019t believe me? Well would you believe the FAA?<\/a><\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Thanks to sleep science, it\u2019s become standard practice to recommend naps to pilots during long flights. Naps were quickly proven to be massively beneficial during super long shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    What\u2019s interesting is the timing of the naps. Pilots are advised to take a nap early on in the long haul flight, to maximize their performance at the end of the flight.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Everyday naps are the exact same way. The earlier in the day you take them, the more effective they\u2019ll be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Not Getting Your Conditions Right<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    Unless you\u2019re totally exhausted, drifting off for a nap is the same as drifting off to sleep. Except you\u2019re doing it in the middle of the day. The sun\u2019s up, the world\u2019s full of noise, and the temperature\u2019s higher. All are the opposite<\/em> of what we need for good sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re trying to nap in bad conditions \u2013 especially for periods of 45 minutes of longer \u2013 then bad sleep environments may be the cause of your after-nap tiredness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Where possible, try to get as close as possible to the sleep trifecta:<\/p>\n\n\n\n