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The short answer
If you are working on insomnia, it usually helps to avoid naps. The reason is sleep drive, the pressure to sleep that builds up the longer you are awake. A nap lets some of that pressure out, so there is less left to help you sleep at night.
That is why guidelines on the behavioural approach, such as the European Insomnia Guideline, include keeping daytime sleep to a minimum as part of the routine.
Dozing off versus deliberate naps
Not all daytime sleep is planned. Many people with insomnia nod off on the sofa in the evening or on the train home. These short dozes count too. Even 10 minutes in front of the TV can take the edge off your sleepiness at bedtime.
Deliberate naps are easier to manage because you choose when they happen. Unplanned dozing is harder to catch. It often helps to notice when it tends to happen and change the setting, for example by sitting upright or doing something active in the evening. There is more on this in sleepy on the sofa, wide awake in bed.
If you need to nap for safety
Sometimes a nap is the safer choice. If you are too drowsy to drive, operate machinery or look after someone safely, rest comes first. Shift workers may also need planned naps to stay alert at work.
If you do nap, a few habits keep the effect on your night smaller:
- Keep it to about 20 minutes and set an alarm.
- Take it before mid-afternoon, not in the evening.
- Nap in a chair or on the sofa, not in your bed.
Napping while using a sleep window
A sleep window shortens your time in bed so sleep drive can build. Napping undoes some of that, so most programmes suggest avoiding naps during the early weeks. The tiredness can feel hard, and it often eases as the window widens.
A sleep window sits behind a safety check. Some people, including those who are pregnant or have epilepsy, bipolar disorder or suspected sleep apnoea, should speak to a clinician first. If you cannot stay safely awake through the day, pause and get advice rather than pushing on. The sleep window explainer covers how it is set.
When daytime sleepiness is a reason to see a GP
Feeling tired after a poor night is common. Falling asleep without meaning to is different. See a GP if you drop off while reading, watching TV, talking or driving, or if a partner says you snore loudly or stop breathing at night.
Those can be signs of sleep apnoea or another condition that needs checking. Our free self-check asks about some of the common signs, and why rule out apnoea first explains why it matters before trying a behavioural routine.
FAQ
- Do naps make insomnia worse?
- They can. A nap uses up some of the sleep drive that builds through the day, which can leave less to help you fall and stay asleep at night.
- How long should a nap be?
- If you need one, keep it short, around 20 minutes, and take it before mid-afternoon. Set an alarm and nap in a chair rather than in bed.
- Is it OK to nap after a bad night?
- It is tempting, but most behavioural sleep programmes suggest pushing through when it is safe to. If you are too drowsy to drive or work safely, rest is the priority.