Using naps to “top up” on sleep can be an effective means of increasing total sleep in a 24-hour period and has proven benefits for performance, efficiency, mood, and alertness, and can reduce fatigue and accidents.

Do naps count towards sleep?

If you nap in the morning, the sleep consists primarily of light NREM (and possibly REM) sleep. In contrast, napping later in the evening, as your sleep drive increases, will comprise more deep sleep. This, in turn, may disrupt your ability to fall asleep at night. Therefore, napping late in the day is discouraged.

Do naps count if you don't fall asleep?

Short naps generally don't affect nighttime sleep quality for most people. But if you experience insomnia or poor sleep quality at night, napping might worsen these problems.