Sleep is for the weak . . . and for me.

August 8, 2008 8:45 AM

Why are my naps always so much better than my sleep?

I never sleep well at night. Haven't for years. Vivid restless dreams, waking 2 and 3 times, the whole deal. Here's the thing, though. If I take a nap--no matter the time of day, no matter if I am more or less tired than usual, no matter if I have had caffeine--I sleep deeply and soundly. (I nap only rarely, though I could probably nap every day if I had the time.)

I don't understand! It can't be that I'm "just really exhausted" and finally tired enough to sleep soundly when I nap---If that were the case, wouldn't I occasionally sleep well at night just from pure exhaustion?

So why are my naps so much better? Can I trick myself into thinking it's a nap at night? (I am not necessarily asking how I can sleep better at night or whether I should nap more. I am wondering why there's consistently a difference.)

posted by liketitanic to health & fitness (10 comments total)

You may want to look into something called polyphasic sleep. It's not for everyone, but it sounds like it's what your body prefers. Basically you take a short nap every so often rather than going to sleep at night. You might want to google it, lots of information out there.
posted by Phyltre at 8:57 AM on August 8, 2008

well a nap could be only 30mins, while a night's sleep might be 8 hours. so if you have a stressful moment every 3 hours, say, that would give you 2 or 3 a night, but only one every 6 naps...

i suspect it's not the answer you're looking for, but if you're not taking the relative chances of disturbances into account you're probably over-estimating how good naps are.

also, looking at stages of sleep it seems like your problems are probably occuring in N3, which requires time to reach - a nap might be just N1 and N2?
posted by not sure this is a good idea at 8:59 AM on August 8, 2008

I can nap for a long time. Hours. All afternoon. That's the thing--I don't usually take brief naps.
posted by liketitanic at 9:01 AM on August 8, 2008

The question you should ask is not why your naps are so much better, but why is nighttime sleep not working out for you?

* Noise/distractions?
* Temperature issues?
* Activities (exercise, television, reading) just before bed?
* Caffeine intake?
* Eating schedule?

All of these can play havoc with sleep. And perhaps some or all are not present when you nap.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 9:24 AM on August 8, 2008

I think my naps feel better because the feel of sunlight streaming through the windows and the sounds of the rest of the world going about their day makes me feel a little like I'm getting away with something, or that I'm hiding out in my own little cozy nest. I don't get that same feeling at night.

If this sounds like it might be true for you, try to replicate day-like conditions at night. I'd start with one of those light therapy lamps for SAD, and see if just the feeling of "sunlight" in the room might help you.
posted by SuperSquirrel at 9:36 AM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite has favorites]

I think naps are better because you only nap when you need it. Usually, people dont plan naps -- they fall asleep, or decide that they have to get some rest. You say you "nap only rarely," but you probably nap when you require a nap, making the nap very effective. Nighttime sleep, on the other hand, is more of a scheduled activity.

I also really like the disturbance insight above. Good point.
posted by milestogo at 10:04 AM on August 8, 2008

by "disturbance insight," I mean pointing out that disturbances are less likely during shorter naps. Even if they are hours long, a night's sleep should in theory be disrupted more.
posted by milestogo at 10:05 AM on August 8, 2008

i also nap way better than i sleep. i can nap for like 5 hours if left to my own devices. for me it's partly because i get the bed to myself instead of sharing with a partner, and partly the sense of getting away with something. and i think too there's no subconcious "the alarm's going to go off soon, god i hate that sound" going on like there is with night time sleep. i love naps.
posted by misanthropicsarah at 10:17 AM on August 8, 2008

I am the complete opposite. I almost always come out of naps groggier than when I came in. If you can nap for hours and hours, it may just be that your internal clock is off?
posted by Deathalicious at 10:23 AM on August 8, 2008

I was in a very similar place until recently - 4-5 hour naps were easy and refreshing, but sleep not as good. It seemed in my case that it was about pressure - with sleep, my alarm clock was going to go off in the morning and that's all the sleep I was going to get so I'd better get every second of it! Naps were a much more relaxed sort of thing, and the extra sleep was like a present.

In addition, when I would go to take a nap I could *feel* that I was tired, but when I was going to bed at night it would be after time spent online or out with friends. A nap was always the culmination of at least half an hour of thinking "wow, I wish I were asleep". Now that I've switched to more relaxing late-night activities, I can actually feel myself getting tired and so sleep really feels like a present again rather than an unfortunate need.
posted by Lady Li at 5:38 PM on August 8, 2008