If you've got insomnia, however, naps present a problem. Assuming you even feel sleepy during the day (insomniacs often don't), napping reduces your chances of sleeping a full night. Even for people with temporary sleep issues caused by stress, illness, or even jet lag, napping during the day can perpetuate bad sleep habits, confuse your internal clock, and send your insomnia into a chronic spiral.
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Do naps help you get through the day, or keep you up at night?
If your schedule allows for it and you don't mind splitting up your sleep between day and night, an afternoon snooze is fine, says Wyatt. Older adults and retirees—or those who are self-employed—for instance, may enjoy napping if they have time to spare during the day, and don't mind being up at night. "But for most of the population, there's no napping with insomnia," he says. "Not if you want to get all of your sleep at night."
The urge to nap could also be a warning sign
If you're constantly fighting (or giving into) the urge to sleep during the day and falling asleep instantly at night, you might have obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which you stop breathing while you sleep.
In this case, naps won't help; in fact, you'll wake up just as tired, since your lungs are deprived of oxygen anytime you doze off. By wearing a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine that flows oxygen through your nose, however, you'll likely sleep more soundly and wake refreshed—whether from a good night's rest or a quick catnap.
