Naps With Sleep Apnea

Having a sleep disorder probably means you have issues with getting a good night's sleep. Even with a CPAP or other therapy and treatments, that doesn’t guarantee a good night's sleep. It just means you will hopefully have no issues resulting from your sleep apnea, like heart issues.

It doesn’t mean you won’t be tired throughout the day sometimes or more often than not. That is ok. It may be your new normal sometimes. Don’t let it stress you. Instead, find a way to combat it and keep yourself rested and feeling good.

I love naps

One of my favorite things, even as I left infancy, is taking naps. You can’t beat a spontaneous nap in the middle of the day. This has been a staple of helping me stay rested and mentally alert. I don’t think I was designed to just stay awake 16 hours straight. Of course, I can do it, no problem.

But when I throw in a quick 30 to 60-minute nap in the middle of the day, I am much more productive in the second half of the day. I don’t spend the last few hours awake – trying to make it to bedtime so I don’t fall asleep too early and wake up earlier than I wanted to. Taking an hour out of my day to nap can add multiple hours of productivity to each day.

Don't force a nap

Find a time that is good for you. Don’t force a nap. If you are tired, at home, and have nothing to do, take a nap. There is no shame in it. If anything, others will be jealous you get a nap while they are drinking caffeine or energy drinks which, in my opinion, are not good for you. There is no reason you can’t take a nap to help your body.

Maximize comfort

Throw on that CPAP and enjoy your bed, or if you want, bring it to your couch or recliner for a change of scenery. Curl up with your dog or cat if you have one. They always sleep during the day and make great cuddle buddies when needed.

Naps have nothing to do with anything other than resting your body when you didn’t sleep well enough the night before and keeping you healthy.

Benefits of naps

There are benefits to taking a nap. The first is you get rested when you are tired and don’t keep yourself awake just because you think it’s a social norm. Like I stated, people drink a lot of caffeine and energy drinks to stay awake. This isn’t a healthy substitute for sleep.

A nap is a healthy alternative to drinking these. Forcing yourself to stay awake isn’t good either. You can lose mental ability, and it can be dangerous if you need to do something like driving. Why would you risk falling asleep at the wheel or not being productive and potentially stressing your body when you have a bed right there?

Be the healthiest version of you

As you can see, I think naps are extremely beneficial and healthy when you have a sleep disorder. You can use them to avoid stimulants, sharpen your cognitive function, and be the healthiest version of you.

I don’t let social norms keep me from taking a nap. I take them when I need to, and I’ll tell you, when I wake up, the second half of my day is always better than when I try to stay awake because I think that’s what adults should do.