This is something that happens to me from time to time since I was a kid.
I would take a nap after lunch, on a day like today. Then sometimes wake up feeling disoriented and depressed. Other times I’d feel fine.
What causes this specifically and why does it only happen sometimes?
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When I went to university. I quickly learned how to nap properly. It involves knowing your sleep cycle and never waking up while in REM.
Nap for 20 to 40 minutes and never an hour. If more than 40 minutes, aim for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Sometimes, you may want to drink coffee before your nap to wake up with the caffeine already in your system.
I suggest googling “Boston globe nap” for the 20-year-old article which is nothing but an image: http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/naps/
When I went to university. I quickly learned how to nap properly. It involves knowing your sleep cycle and never waking up while in REM.
Nap for 20 to 40 minutes and never an hour. If more than 40 minutes, aim for 90 minutes to 2 hours. Sometimes, you may want to drink coffee before your nap to wake up with the caffeine already in your system.
I suggest googling “Boston globe nap” for the 20-year-old article which is nothing but an image: http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/naps/
Beacuse sleep is complex and loosely understood.
We know that when we sleep a shuffling of memories happen, and depending on what memories they are different hormones are associated with them.
Did you have a good day but have a single bad thing happen? Perhaps that’s enough to trigger adrenaline rush during the shuffle.
We’ve found that when there is memory shuffling happening, that if the good (or neutral) experiences are more common then the negative ones those hormones aren’t as likely to be released.
For a more complex read on this mechanism, please read here: [PTSD victims when playing Tetris as a preventive measure were less likely to suffer trauma](https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/tetris-used-to-prevent-post-traumatic-stress-symptoms)
Beacuse sleep is complex and loosely understood.
We know that when we sleep a shuffling of memories happen, and depending on what memories they are different hormones are associated with them.
Did you have a good day but have a single bad thing happen? Perhaps that’s enough to trigger adrenaline rush during the shuffle.
We’ve found that when there is memory shuffling happening, that if the good (or neutral) experiences are more common then the negative ones those hormones aren’t as likely to be released.
For a more complex read on this mechanism, please read here: [PTSD victims when playing Tetris as a preventive measure were less likely to suffer trauma](https://www.psych.ox.ac.uk/news/tetris-used-to-prevent-post-traumatic-stress-symptoms)
Sleep as near as we can tell is necessary for your brain to clean house. It happens in cycles lasting roughly 90-110 minutes. Where you’re at in that cycle when you wake up can have a dramatic affect on how you feel.
Imagine you’re at home and have a bit of free time so you decide to clean the house. You break out some wet wipes and wipe off the counters and do some sweeping. Your friend then calls and asks you to pick them up. Since you only have the wipes and the broom out, putting everything away is a snap. This is akin to taking a short nap.
Same situation different day, but it seems like you’ll have more time to clean this day. After wiping and sweeping you decide that it’s a good time to rewax the floors like you’ve been meaning to. You break out the wax stripper and the scrubbing equipment. But oh no, your friend calls again and needs you to pick them up. You can’t just easily put everything away like you did before. Stopping now will leave all the scrubbing equipment and half stripped wax on the floor, leaving your house messier than when you started. This is akin to being woken up during deep sleep. You can actually wake up feeling more tired than when you started.
With some practice you can learn to work with your sleep cycles. After a cycle ends you usually experience a brief moment of wakefulness before starting a new cycle. If I find myself doing this near the time I’m suppose to be awake I will just get up and start my day then. Going back to sleep for “just ten more minutes” will just make me more groggy.
Sleep as near as we can tell is necessary for your brain to clean house. It happens in cycles lasting roughly 90-110 minutes. Where you’re at in that cycle when you wake up can have a dramatic affect on how you feel.
Imagine you’re at home and have a bit of free time so you decide to clean the house. You break out some wet wipes and wipe off the counters and do some sweeping. Your friend then calls and asks you to pick them up. Since you only have the wipes and the broom out, putting everything away is a snap. This is akin to taking a short nap.
Same situation different day, but it seems like you’ll have more time to clean this day. After wiping and sweeping you decide that it’s a good time to rewax the floors like you’ve been meaning to. You break out the wax stripper and the scrubbing equipment. But oh no, your friend calls again and needs you to pick them up. You can’t just easily put everything away like you did before. Stopping now will leave all the scrubbing equipment and half stripped wax on the floor, leaving your house messier than when you started. This is akin to being woken up during deep sleep. You can actually wake up feeling more tired than when you started.
With some practice you can learn to work with your sleep cycles. After a cycle ends you usually experience a brief moment of wakefulness before starting a new cycle. If I find myself doing this near the time I’m suppose to be awake I will just get up and start my day then. Going back to sleep for “just ten more minutes” will just make me more groggy.
There are different stages of sleep. Light, deep, and REM. Waking up when still in the deep sleep phase leaves you groggy and moody.
The Stuff You Should Know podcast just had an episode on naps.
There are different stages of sleep. Light, deep, and REM. Waking up when still in the deep sleep phase leaves you groggy and moody.
The Stuff You Should Know podcast just had an episode on naps.
Probably depends on a lot of factors like caffeine, sugar and water intake, or stress levels earlier in the day.
Probably depends on a lot of factors like caffeine, sugar and water intake, or stress levels earlier in the day.
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