Hi! This is a very big doubt that I have for a very long time, does there is any chance of getting disturbed at night due to afternoon nap?
Hi!
There are two processes in the brain that create sleep drive in general. The first is the body’s clock. It creates sleepiness between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. and a little bit also in the afternoon; and it paradoxically creates wakefulness at around 8 p.m., during a time called ‘the forbidden zone of sleep.’
The second process relates more directly to your question. It is called “Process S,” where the “S” stands for ‘sleep.’ This is a process where the longer you stay awake, the more likely you are to go to the deeper stages of sleep when you go to sleep.
Now, if you take a nap, the brain gets rid of adenosine at its site of action rather quickly. So, if you take a nap, you are indeed less likely to be able to go to sleep as successfully at bedtime. However, this isn’t the only thing driving you to sleep when you go to bed at night. The insomnia patients are asked not to nap because to make the Process S to work. But the clock aspects of sleep is also important. Both are involved in whether a person sleeps at a particular time.